Yousuf puts Pakistan in driving seat

ENGLAND took in Mohammad Yousuf’s master class of batting on the sub-continent and began to put the tough lesson into practice as they tried to save the final Test against Pakistan in Lahore yesterday.

Yousuf’s career-best 223 was a triumph of concentration and ‘percentage’ cricket as he minimised risk for much of his innings and launched into all-out attack only in the last stages of his mission to demoralise the tourists.

He, his sixth-wicket partner Kamran Akmal (154) and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (97) left England’s bowlers with nowhere to hide as they put 636 for eight declared on the board before inviting their opponents to start their second innings a frightening 348 runs adrift.