Opening batsman Imran Farhat scored a half century on Sunday as Pakistan made a healthy progress in overcast conditions on the first day of the second cricket test against the West Indies. Left-handed Farhat hammered 10 boundaries in his attractive knock of 74 as Pakistan moved to a confident 187-2 at tea.
Younis Khan was unbeaten on 48, while in form Mohammad Yousuf, who made 192 in Pakistan's nine-wicket victory at Lahore in the first test, was batting on 25 at the break.
Farhat fell to medium fast bowler Dwayne Bravo giving a chest-high catch to captain Brian Lara at second slip. Farhat's three-hour knock came off 158 balls.
The opening pair of Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez (36) featured in a solid 83-run start after Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to bat first in his hometown.
The three-pronged West Indies pace attack hardly troubled the openers on a grassless wicket with Hafeez hitting fluent boundaries on both sides of the wicket.
Pace bowler Jerome Taylor (1-35) provided the lone dismissal in the morning session when Hafeez attempted a lose shot in the 28 thover and edged to wicket keeper Denesh Ramdin after scoring 36 off 66 balls with seven boundaries. Pakistan retained the same team that defeated the West Indies by nine wickets in the first test at Lahore.
The West Indies brought in batsman Runako Morton and fast bowler Daren Powell in place of out of form Ramnaresh Sarwan and Fidel Edwards respectively.
Sarwan, who has scored 4,233 runs with nine centuries from 64 tests, has been in poor form for the last two months. During a triangular series in Malaysia that included India and Australia, he scored only 112 runs in five matches.
In the last month's Champions Trophy in India, he managed 137 runs in six innings.
In the first test at Lahore, Sarwan could score only 3 and 23 before he was finally dropped.
Left-handed batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul achieved a milestone when he became the eighth West Indian batsman to play 100 test matches.
Pakistan got off to a good start in their bid to seal the series against the West Indies on the first day of the second Test at the Multan cricket stadium on Sunday.
West Indies has dropped fast bowler Fidel Edwards replaced by Darren Powell.
Pakistan is all set to go for a decisive series victory against the Caribbean side, as Brian Lara will lead his team's challenge for a series-levelling attempt by winning Multan test.
Pakistan reached lunch at 109-1 following a confident start of 83.
Opener Imran Farhat (64) and Younis Khan (six) were unbeaten at the break as Pakistani batsmen took full advantage of some inaccurate West Indian bowling.
Farhat reached his ninth half-century with six fours. He has so far hit eight boundaries in the extended two-and-a-half hour session.
Paceman Jerome Taylor, who was the best bowler for the tourists in the first Test, provided the breakthrough when he forced an edge off Hafeez's bat to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin. Hafeez made 36 with seven boundaries.
The visitors surprisingly left out their out-of-form vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had scored only one fifty in the last 14 matches and managed three and 23 in the first Test.
Paceman Fidel Edwards was also axed to make room for batsman Runako Morton and fast bowler Daren Powell.
Middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul overcame a stomach disorder and is playing his 100th Test. Chanderpaul became the eighth West Indian and 42nd cricketer in the world to play 100 or more Tests.
"It is obviously a great achievement to actually make it to 100 Tests, knowing how my career has been with a lot of injuries and lots of ups and downs," said Chanderpaul, who reached the milestone in the second Test against Pakistan here.
"You can't worry about what number it is, you have to go out and play the game and play hard like always. One hundred Test matches was a goal I had set myself in life. "Hopefully I can carry on and meet the other goals."
Chanderpaul termed Pakistan's Wasim Akram and Australian Shane Warne as the two most dangerous bowlers he had faced in his career. "Wasim was difficult because of his ability to swing the cricket ball and also to seam off the wicket. Warne turns the ball a long way and he is one of those guys who will work you out," said Chanderpaul.
PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS:
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Mohammad Hafeez c Ramdin b Taylor 36
Imran Farhat c Lara b Bravo 74
Younis Khan c Morton b Taylor 56
Mohammad Yousuf c Lara b Gayle 56
Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 31
Shoaib Malik not out 4
Extras: (b1, lb3, nb2) 6
Total: (for four wkts) 263
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