Pakistan's cricket captain Inzamam ul-Haq offers cake to teammate Mohammad Yousuf after Yousuf broke the record of 1,710 runs in a calendar year by West Indies' Vivian Richards at the end of the fourth day's play of their third and final Test against the West Indies at National Stadium in Karachi yesterday. - Reuters

KARACHI (Reuters):

THE WEST Indies were struggling to avoid a big defeat against Pakistan after run-machine Mohammad Yousuf broke several records on day four of the third and final Test yesterday.

Yousuf, 32, made his second century of the match and his ninth of 2006 to break Vivian Richard's 30-year-old record for most runs scored in a calendar year.

The visitors were 39 for two with captain Brian Lara on 18 and Ramnaresh Sarwan (11) after they were reduced to 17 for two inside four overs. They have been set an improbable target of 444 to win the Test.

Pakistan declared after tea on 399 for six after resuming on 130 for two in the morning.

Anxious moments

Lara, bowled for a second-ball duck in the first innings, survived some anxious moments before unleashing his trademark drives, but needs to match the batting feats of Yousuf (124), Mohammad Hafeez (104) and Inzamam ul-Haq (58 not out).

The West Indies were rocked on the second ball of their innings when Chris Gayle played on to Umar Gul and in the fourth over Shahid Nazir brought one back to trap Daren Ganga.

Yousuf set various records, finishing 2006 with 1,788 runs in 11 matches to overtake the 1,710 of Richards in 1976.

His nine hundreds this year, including six in his past five Tests, lifted his batting average to 56 in his 73rd Test and are also the most in a calendar year.

He was finally bowled around his leg by part-time spinner Sarwan after facing 195 balls with 15 fours.

It was his 23rd career ton and with 665 runs in all the best aggregate for a three-match series by a Pakistani, surpassing the 583 by Zaheer Abbas against India in 1978.

He also made 102 on the opening day of the Test.

Yousuf put on 149 for the third wicket with opener Mohammad Hafeez who plodded his way to his second Test hundred.

Skipper Inzamam scored his first half century in his past six Tests and put on 94 quick runs with Yousuf.

He declared the innings after Shoaib Malik (10) and Abdul Razzaq (10) fell in quick succession after Yousuf's departure.

Lara, Test cricket's leading scorer, praised Yousuf, telling reporters: "He is very committed every time he goes out to bat and he is definitely not just a role model for Pakistan cricket but for young cricketers around the world."

Inzamam described Yousuf's batting as magical and rare. "I have been playing since 1989 but I have not seen such consistency from a batsman at this level," he said.

"To score nine hundreds in a year is a feat which will be difficult to match."

Pakistan first innings 304

West Indies first innings 260

Pakistan second innings

(Resumed at 130 for two)

M. Hafeez c Ramdin b Taylor