Younus Targets Lara Test Record- First Test, Karachi

Page last updated at 12:20 GMT, Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Younus targets Lara Test record

First Test, Karachi (day four, close): Sri Lanka 644-7 v Pakistan 574-5 Younus becomes only the 20th batsman to score a triple Test century Younus Khan has Brian Lara's Test record score in sight after finishing day four of Pakistan's first Test against Sri Lanka on 306 not out. With the match destined for a draw, Younus is certain to start day five with Lara's 400 in sight on a batsman-friendly wicket in Karachi. Pakistan finished on 574-5 after safely passing the follow-on mark of 444. Younus received support from Misbah-ul-Haq (52) and Faisal Iqbal (57) as Sri Lanka toiled on a flat pitch. The captain became only the third Pakistani to score a triple Test century and the 20th batsman to surpass the 300-mark. Hanif Mohammad's 337, set in 1958 against the West Indies in Barbados, remains the highest score by a Pakistani, eight runs ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq's 329 against New Zealand in 2002. HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL TEST INNINGS SCORES 400: Brian Lara* (WI) 380: Matthew Hayden (Aus) 375: Brian Lara (WI) 374: Mahela Jayawardene (Sri) 365*: Garfield Sobers (WI) 364: Len Hutton (Eng) 340: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri) * denotes not out score Younus' mammoth innings has so far taken 12 hours and 11 minutes, 545 deliveries and featured 27 boundaries and four sixes with attractive strokeplay on both sides of the wicket. He brought up his triple ton with a reverse-sweep for three off Muttiah Muralitharan, who finished a gruelling day with figures of 1-165 from 60 overs. The innings also enabled Younus to became the sixth Pakistani to reach 5,000 runs in Test cricket in his 59th match. And with little to play for on the final day at the National Stadium, the 31-year-old - playing his first match since taking over as captain from Shoaib Malik - will aim to become only the second batsman in history to score 400 runs in a Test match. Lara set his record 400 not out score in 2004 against England in Antigua. "Maybe I will go for Lara's record," said Younus. "I have a plan to bat for 40 overs on Wednesday and see if I could get there but my team plan comes first and for that I would want my bowlers to get some workout." The match was also the first time Test history that both captains have scored more than 200 in a single match. Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 240, and Thilan Samaraweera broke a 52-year-old record at the National Stadium on Sunday, surpassing English duo Peter May and Colin Cowdrey for the highest Test fourth-wicket partnership with a stand of 437 as the tourists amassed a formidable 644-7. Younus contributed in a 174-run stand with Misbah, who was the first of the day's two wickets when he was trapped lbw by Dilhara Fernando. Faisal put on a 130-run stand alongside his captain before he was adjudged leg before to the occasional medium pace of Jayawardene. Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was 27 not out at the close.