Younis Khan hit a stellar double hundred while skipper Misbah-ul Haq also joined the run-feast with his sixth Test century as Pakistan tightened their grip on the second and final Test against Australia on Friday.
Younis, who hit twin centuries in Pakistan’s comprehensive victory in the first Test in Dubai, tormented Australia again with a marathon 213, his fifth double hundred, which helped him pass the 8000 Test run mark in the process.
The right-hander added 236 runs for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (109) and another 181 with Misbah (101) for the fourth as Pakistan declared their first innings at 570 for six and decided to have a go at their opponents in the fading light.
They were duly rewarded with the wicket of Chris Rogers (five) who edged an Imran Khan delivery and was caught behind in the penultimate over of the day.
David Warner, who hit Khan for three boundaries in the first over, was on 16 with nightwatchman Nathan Lyon on one at the close, leaving Australia facing an uphill task to save the match.
The visitors were still 548 runs behind their opponents who inched closer towards securing their first Test series win against Australia in 20 years.
To make matters worse for Australia, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin hurt his shoulder trying to take a catch and left the field for a second time in the final session.
The day belonged to Younis, who lived a charmed life and hit 15 boundaries and two sixes before a Peter Siddle delivery pegged back his middle stump.
Mitchell Starc claimed the lone wicket of the morning session when Azhar Ali tickled a delivery and Australia’s stop-gap keeper Warner dived to his left to take a smart catch.