ABU DHABI: Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq levelled former West Indies captain Viv Richards’ record of fastest Test 100 when he reached three figures off just 56 balls against Australia during the fourth day of the second and final Test match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Misbah edged a ball to third man for four, which took him to the seventh century of his Test career. He scored 101 not out off 57 runs and Azhar Ali made 100 off 174 balls as Pakistan declared their second innings for 293 for three, setting a mammoth target of 603 runs for Australia. Both these batsmen had scored centuries in the first innings as well.
He had earlier broken Jack Kallis’ record of fastest Test 50. Kallis scored a fifty on 24 balls against Zimbabwe. Misbah completed his half century off just 21 balls.
Pakistani skipper is nicknamed ‘Mr. Took Took’ due to his slow batting style, but after the fastest fifty of Misbah, people on social media have called him Mr. Theek Thak.
Pakistan had bowled out Australia for 261 runs in the first innings.
Pakistan chose not to enforce the follow-on despite a 309-run lead.
Only Mitchell Marsh offered some resistance, who scored 87 runs hitting a six and 13 boundaries. Skipper Michael Clark was bowled by Imran at  47 runs.
Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Zulfiqur Babar and Yasir Shah all delivered vexing spells on a surface that seemed far more lively in Pakistani hands than it ever did when Australia’s bowlers allowed their opponents to run up to 570 for 6 declared.
The gambit of placing Glenn Maxwell in the top order worked only briefly, his rapid 37 ended with an unsightly ran down the wicket to Zulfiqur, who once again showed the wiles of a high class left-arm spinner and also defeated Steve Smith.
David Warner began the day’s wickets with a spendthrift swish at Rahat, who placed Australia’s pacemen in the shade by gaining movement both ways. Imran followed suit after lunch to swerve through Michael Clarke, and Yasir Shah’s beguilement of Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson left Marsh alone with the tail.
Lyon and Warner began the day well and truly behind in the match but with the hope of establishing a foothold on Australia’s first innings. Lyon played commendably straight, though he was fortunate to escape an lbw appeal from Zulfiqur.
Warner needed to reprise his Dubai hundred, but the subtle movement being gained by Rahat drew him into chasing a wide delivery that was caught at backward point – Warner himself having missed a similar chance from the bat of Younis Khan the previous morning.
Pakistan Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Imran Khan (J), Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Younis Khan, Mohammad Talha
Australia Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Peter Siddle, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glen Maxwell, Chris Rogers, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Nathan Lyon
Time: PST 11:00 pm / IST 11:30
Live Streaming/TV Info:Â Ten Sports / PTV Sports
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