PHOTO: AFP

BEATEN AND BOWLED: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq falls to Dave Mohammed without scoring.

LAHORE: Middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf made his 20th Test century on Sunday as Pakistan strengthened its grip on the first cricket Test against the West Indies after the second day.

Yousuf was unbeaten on 107 (190b, 14 x 4) and Shoaib Malik was not out on 61 as Pakistan cruised to 265 for four before bad light ended the day's play 21 overs before scheduled stumps. Poor light has so far caused the loss of 32 overs of play over the two days.

Pakistan now leads by 59 runs after the West Indies posted a first innings total of just 206 on Saturday.

Slow wicket

The West Indies bowlers struggled hard on a slow wicket as Yousuf and Malik combined for a record 125-run partnership — beating Pakistan's previous best of 115 between Asim Kamal and Shahid Afridi against the West Indies at Bridgetown last year.

``It was a totally flat wicket and it was easy to score runs on it,'' Yousuf said. ``Pitches should have some bounce so that it helps bowlers too, like the one in Brisbane, which I think is the best Test wicket.''

Yousuf capitalised on a dropped catch before he completed his half century and continued his fine run of form this year that saw him score three centuries in Pakistan's four-Test series in England and two in the home series against India.

Good run of form

``I am enjoying a good run of form and hope to maintain it in the remaining two Tests,'' said Yousuf, who was short-listed for ICC's best Test player of the year award, which was won by Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

The right-handed Yousuf raised his hundred in four-and-a-half hours when he flicked Jerome Taylor for his 13th boundary, before the West Indies fast bowler dropped him off the next delivery.

``I still believe that the match is wide open after two days, but we have to put in extra effort to restrict the Pakistan lead,'' Taylor said.

Lucky break

Pakistan did not lose a wicket in the last two sessions after the dismissal of captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for a duck just before lunch.

Yousuf got a break while on 43 when Daren Ganga grassed a low catch in the gully. Ten runs later, Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva did not refer a stumping appeal to the third umpire with the Pakistan total at 145 for four.

Television replays suggested Yousuf's back foot was on the line when wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin took off the bails.

Earlier, Pakistan scored 102 runs in the morning session — thanks to an 88-run stand between Yousuf and half century-maker Mohammad Hafeez.

The West Indies hit back late in the first session when Hafeez was dismissed for 57 and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed clean bowled Inzamam, who was out without scoring for the 15th time in his 114-Test career.

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards struck in the fifth over of the day after Pakistan resumed on Sunday at 39 for one.

Younis Khan (11) added just one more run to his overnight score before he pulled Edwards's short-pitched delivery to Ramnaresh Sarwan at short mid-wicket.

When Yousuf reached 32 with a cover driven boundary off Dwayne Bravo, he surpassed former captain Salim Malik's 5,768 Test runs and became the third-highest Test scorer for Pakistan after Javed Miandad (8,832) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,498). Hafeez hit six 4s and faced 147 balls before he was trapped lbw by Taylor off a full-pitched delivery. Taylor claimed two wickets for 67, while Mohammed (one for 31) and Edwards (one for 64) were the other wicket-takers.

Yousuf's call

Yousuf played down his century insisting there was a need to make more lively and balanced pitches in Test cricket.

``The pitch is a flat one and there was nothing in it for the bowlers. Unfortunately cricket the world over is dominated by batsmen due to such pitches,'' Yousuf said.

``I don't support such type of pitches. I would like to see more lively and bouncy tracks the world over which support batsmen and bowlers,'' he said.

Six hundreds were scored at the Gaddafi stadium in January when Pakistan played India in a Test with Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid putting on an opening stand of 411 runs.

West Indian paceman Jerome Taylor said: ``The pitch had absolutely nothing in it for the fast bowlers once the new ball spells were over. You can just try and bowl straight on it.''

Yousuf put down the West Indies being bowled out for a low score of 206 on the first day to lack of application from its batsmen and the overcast conditions and moisture in the pitch. — Agencies

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