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December 01, 2006 (Link to Scorecard)

The Pakistan team inspired by the phenomenal performance of Mohammad Yousuf has gone onto win the Karachi Test Match by 199 runs. The 3-Test Series has been won 2-0 by the homeside. They didn’t allow any Brian Lara marathon to take place today which was the key for their victory on the final day’s play. West Indies who had already lost their two openers overnight could only last 67.4 overs today. In a way, the tourists were unlucky as things might have been different had Ramnaresh Sarwan had not retired hurt after getting a toe cruncher.

The morning session looked to go West Indies’ way with Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan batting beautifully. They were beaten on the odd occasion but the pitch just didn’t have any pace or bounce. It wasn’t all that easy for Pakistan to get the eight wickets required for a victory. However, they sensed that they could win the Test Match once Brian Lara fell in the 30th over of the innings after he had scored 49. It was an ordinary short of length delivery from Umar Gul to which Lara was shaping to drive on the backfoot, but with the ball stopping onto the bat, it was a scoop to the covers fielder.
 

The worst thing that had happened to West Indies was that of Ramnaresh Sarwan having to leave the field after getting an inswinging yorker from Umar Gul right on his toes. Sarwan fell down immediately and was in pain holding his head and had to be carried away off the field. He was rushed to the hospital and news was that he could bat only if required and can bat only for a small amount of time. The Guyanese was batting well on 35 having faced 81 balls. Sarwan’s abrupt departure left West Indies with just Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the only experienced batsmen out in the middle. He had to lose one more partner in the form of Runako Morton before lunch who got himself out playing an atrocious shot to be caught and bowled by Danish Kaneria. Windies had lost almost half of their side back in the hut as they went to lunch at 144 for 4 plus Sarwan.

After the lunch break, Shahid Nazir got rid of Dwayne Bravo who just stood in his crease to poke at a back of length delivery to give a simple catch in the slips. Bravo contributed 26 to a partnership of 57 with Shiv Chanderpaul who himself got out after almost 10 overs leaving his side to an inevitable defeat. Chanderpaul was trapped leg before the wicket by Danish Kaneria after he had scored 69. Denesh Ramdin, like he did in the first innings kept on fighting but this time for a lost cause. He remained not out on 25 while Danish Kaneria and Abdul Razzaq picked up the remaining tail enders. Kaneria finished with 3 for 69 and the pace trio picked up a couple of wickets each.

The presentation ceremony which followed after the match was all about Mohammad Yousuf as he had broken a 30-year-old record held by Sir Viv Richards. Mohammad Yousuf got big cash awards from different sources, including a Rupees One million from the Pakistan President – Gen. Pervez Musharaff. Along with that, Yousuf had also got the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series awards. Bad news followed the West Indians with the news that Ramnaresh Sarwan had done enough damage to his toe to be ruled out of the One Day Series which begins on the 5th at Rawalpindi.

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