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Australia score historic victory

Brilliant centuries from Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer saw Australia post its third highest successful fourth innings run chase in the history of Test cricket to beat Pakistan by four wickets on the final day of the second Test at the Bellerive Oval today.

Gilchrist made 149 not out and Langer 127 as the pair put together a 238-run partnership to rescue Australia from a seemingly hopeless position of 126 for the los of five wickets with 66 minutes left on the fourth day of the match.

Australia lead the three-Test series 2-0. The final Test at the WACA ground in Perth starts on Friday.

The only better Test run chases have been India's 406 for 4 when it beat the West Indies at Guyana in 1975-76 and Australia's 404 for three to down England at Leeds in 1948.

Gilchrist, playing only his second Test, faced just 163 balls in a swashbuckling display, while Langer, under pressure to retain his place in the Australian side leading into this Test, played a perfect sheet-anchor role in his 295-ball knock.

It was a dramatic day's play after Australia resumed at 188 for five.

Gilchrist backed away from taking strike twice during a Shoaib Akhtar over claiming that Saqlain Mushtaq, standing at mid-on, was intentionally distracting him by moving from side-to-side as he walked in with the bowler.

Saqlain put his arms in the air to question why Gilchrist would not take strike and the Pakistani offspinner was spoken to by umpires Peter Parker and Peter Willey.

Parker, who apologised to Langer after wrongly giving him out - caught in close off Saqlain - in the first innings, was at the centre of controversy again today. With Langer on 76 and the score 237 for 5, fast bowler Wasim Akram and wicketkeeper Moin Khan were convinced Langer had edged a ball behind but Parker ruled not out.

Gilchrist brought up his century with a glorious straight drive off Waqar Younis for four, only the 110th ball he had faced.

Langer's was an equally important but more patient innings and his three figures came from 269 balls in 384 minutes. He was dismissed with the score on 5-364 and Gilchrist deservedly hit a four and single from Saqlain on the next two balls to seal victory.

Agencies

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