Hammad Shakil
November 15,
2010; Pakistan v South Africa, 1st Test, Dubai; ESPNcricinfo Day 4 bulletin’s headline
read, “Pakistan fight but South Africa on course for victory”, and truly so as
Pakistan were left with a potentially unsurmountable task of chasing more than
400 runs and lasting more than 0.1k overs in the 4th innings to deny
South Africa an undefeated lead in their very first assignment post spot-fixing
saga summer.
Pakistan had
every right to morally oust themselves from keeping their heads high and grade
themselves as a team of bits and pieces and sit beside the squires rather than
keeping an eye on the throne and rating themselves as the ultimate day-savers. After
all, only 2 teams had ever out-batted South Africa in the 4th
innings by facing more than 100 overs to cling onto a win, while there only had
been 8 instances of a team hanging onto a draw. Incidentally, one of those 8
instances included Pakistan, a game which so ironically bears a helluva
resemblance to the game aforementioned. Since the turn of the century, only 21
instances had been recorded of a team saving (win/draw) a Test by facing more
than 100 overs in the 4th innings of a Test. Yet, Pakistan were as
predictable as they were supposed to be; totally unpredictable. A defiant pair
of Younis Khan and Azhar Ali was replaced after 19 overs by the comeback duo of
veterans Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq. As teams huddled for the post-match
presentation at the end of play, ESPNcricinfo’s headline
read, “Younis century secures fighting draw”, and “Younis and Misbah return in
style”, don’t they always? Younis Khan ended with a master knock of 131*, while
Misbah accumulated 76* of his own playing, or rather blocking, more than half
of the overs that would be bowled since his arrival at the middle till the end
of play.
This was
century number 17 for Younis Khan, a tally he would conveniently double by the
start of 2017. It was only fitting Misbah ended up at a score between 75 and
99. Misbah, at the time this article is being written, has 13 scores between 75
and 99, a feat bettered only by Inzamam-ul-Haq (17) and Javed Miandad (15),
while they both share 200-plus match experience, Misbah currently has 73. By
any accounts, Misbah won’t be proud, and it evidently is clear that he isn’t prone to scoring much centuries, and
usually blocks his way to highly
resistive and well-fought-against-all-the-odds half centuries.
2356 days would
go by and this truly secured and guarded pair would still be driving Pakistan
towards a safer island. Till date, no Pakistani pair has scored more runs in
partnership than #MisYou (a hashtag so often used currently in the event of the
duo’s retirement). No other pair has scored more century partnerships than this
put-your-money-on duo for Pakistan, while they top the chart for most unbroken
partnerships for Pakistan in Tests too. Their partnership averages 69.67, which
is second only to Mohammad Yousaf and Younis Khan’s 78.42 (min cut off: 3000
partnership runs). Their partnership conversion rate of 2.14 is only bettered
by 3.33 of Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar (min cut off: 10 century
partnerships).
Since November
2010, only Pakistan’s more recent giant Azhar Ali has faced more balls than
Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq. In fact, only Alastair Cook has played more
balls than Azhar Ali in this period. As predicted, Younis Khan has scored more
runs than any other Pak batsman in this span, followed by Azhar Ali and Misbah.
It has to be noted that Azhar Ali’s run tally is largely built courtesy his
habit of scoring daddy hundreds, while this has dampened Misbah very much, who
always/usually seems to be stranded between 75 and 99 – albeit facing a bulk of
deliveries, normally saving Pakistan from precarious situations.
If we are to
talk about the greatest
victories Pakistan have cherished during the #MisYou era, we can arguably say
that both of these modern Pakistan greats have had highly instrumental roles to
play in those games, and series. Pakistan achieved an entirely Naya
Pakistan under Misbah, and his lieutenant Younis Khan, heavily in contrast
to the previous versions of Pakistan teams, yet they ground their ways to get
to the No. 1 ranked side in the world, a first for Pakistan since the inception
of the concept.
When Misbah
was offered the Test captaincy in a small clerk room at the Gaddafi Stadium in
the aftermath of the spot-fixing season, he had been contemplating retirement
from the game, and this offer instilled a brand new zeal for the game he
literally plays to live. A similar story for Younis Khan, who hadn’t played a
Test in over a year and was brought to life along with Misbah in a much calmer
dressing room than the ones their predecessors had.
As Pakistan
take the 1-0 lead against West Indies in the ongoing Test series, a place where
they are yet to win a Test series, Misbah and Younis Khan will be taking this
as one final frontier, one final ride, or more likely one final stride to the
22 yards at the middle. To think they won’t be donning the bright Test costumes
in the near future, one must crumble at the thought, of who would replace and
shoo-in these giants, and block and sweep Pakistan to safer roads.
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