Younis Khan joined a select band of six batsmen yesterday with a century on his Test debut for Pakistan as he and the former captain Wasim Akram launched a determined fightback to set Sri Lanka a target of 220 to win the first Test in Rawalpindi.
With his 322-minute 107 the 23-year-old emulated the illustrious likes of Salim Malik and Javed Miandad. He was last man out after he and the groin-strained Wasim, who hit out to score 79 despite needing a runner, compiled a Pakistan-record ninth-wicket partnership of 145 in 195 minutes.
Wasim struck 10 fours before he was adjudged out - a decision given the fullest consideration by the home umpire Athar Zaidi - to a bat-and-pad catch off the off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
The home side mustered 390 in their second innings, a lead of 219. The tourists were 11 without loss at stumps.
Meanwhile, Brian Lara has been named in a 20-man West Indies training squad to assemble in Jamaica next month to prepare for the home series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan. It was thought he would take an extended break after resigning the captaincy.
The veteran fast bowler Curtly Ambrose has been recalled and an interesting newcomer is the Guyanese leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, who with 31 victims was leading wicket-taker in this year's Busta Cup competition, which Jamaica clinched with a draw against the Leeward Islands.
Pakistan first innings 182 (P Wickremasinghe 4-37, M Muralitharan 4-45).
Sri Lanka first innings 353 (A de Silva 112; Waqar Younis 4-103).
Pakistan second innings (overnight: 154-4)
Yousuf Youhana c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 18
Waqar Younis c & Vaas 8
Younis Khan c de Silva b Muralitharan 107
Moin Khan lbw b Vaas 10
Abdur Razzaq c Kaluwitharana b Zoysa 3
Wasim Akram c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 79
Saqlain Mushtaq 2
Extras (b4, lb12, nb18) 34
Total (152.1 overs) 390
Fall cont: 169, 189, 224, 236, 381.
Bowling: Vaas 38-7-85-3; Zoysa 26-8-64-3; Wickremasinghe 24-4-76-0; Muralitharan 54.1-14-127-4; Arnold 1-1-0-0; de Silva 6-2-10-0; Jayasuriya 3-0-12-0.
Sri Lanka second innings
MS Atapattu not out 6
*ST Jayasuriya not out 5
Total (for 0, 3 overs) 11
Umpires: Athar Zaidi and DL Orchard.
