Misbah leads the resistance as battling Pakistan hold out to draw

Misbah-ul-Haq saved Pakistan in the second Test in Abu Dhabi yesterday, hitting an unbeaten 58 to guarantee a 0-0 draw in their Test series against South Africa.

Graeme Smith declared after just six overs on the fifth morning, setting Pakistan a target of 354. After a solid start to their response, the home side lost three wickets in seven balls during the afternoon. Taufeeq Umar fell leg before wicket to Johan Botha before Paul Harris trapped both Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan in the same over.

But the Pakistan captain Misbah batted out the next 45 overs along with Azhar Ali, as they successfully held off the South African attack led by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, first and third in the world Test bowling rankings respectively. It was Misbah's third half-century of the series; he scored 77 in the first innings of this Test as Pakistan responded to South Africa's mammoth 584 for 9 declared.

Misbah's cautious approach paid off. "We had one thing in mind and that was to stay at the wicket," he said.

Kumar Sangakkara's unbeaten innings of 135 was the highlight of a rain-spoilt day in the second Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Colombo. Only 52.4 overs were bowled before heavy rain wiped out most of the afternoon's play at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Sangakkara, however, advanced from an overnight score of 25 with another 110 runs, leaving Sri Lanka on 294 for 5. He was part of a 170-run partnership with Thilan Samaraweera, who made 80 before pulling Dwayne Bravo to Shane Shillingford at fine-leg. Sangakkara's century was the 24th of his Test career, leaving him four behind Mahela Jayawardene, who was out for 58.