So near, yet so far: Misbah enters unique list of 99-not out

KARACHI: Pakistan's captain and middle order batsman Misbah ul Haq added another feather to his cap on Monday by entering a unique list of 99-not out in Test cricket.

Misbah remained not out at 99 at the non-striking end as 11-number batsman and debutant Mohammad Abbas was trapped leg-before-wickets by Roston Chase ending Pakistan's first innings with 407 on board on 4th day of Jamaica Test vs West Indies.

Misbah played 223 deliveries, stroked five boundaries and smashed three sixes, but couldn't reach the three figures.

He became the first Pakistani batsman, and only the second captain, to see innings wrapping up standing with 99 not out.

He is sixth player overall in the list of batsmen left unbeaten on 99 in an innings of a Test match after Geoff Boycott, Steve Waugh, Alex Tudor, Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall. Shaun Pollock was the first captain to achieve this unique feat in 2002 against Sri Lanka.

During the same innings, he also became the 7th Pakistani batsman to complete 5,000 runs in Test Cricket. He reached this milestone by taking 49th run of the innings.

He joined Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamamul Haq, Muhammad Yousuf, Saleem Malik and Zaheer Abbas in group of Pakistan’s 5000 runs scorers.

Misbah made his Test debut in March 2001 and it took him 16 years and 127 innings to reach 5,000 runs, mainly because of the fact that he did not get enough chances to play regularly before 2007.

Only Pakistani batsman who played more innings than Misbah ul Haq to reach 5000 runs was Saleem Malik who completed this feat in 134 innings of his Test career.

42-year-old Misbah, also completed 4,000 runs as captain in Test cricket, he's first Pakistani and 9th overall to do so.

Misbah ul Haq also holds the record of most 6s by a captain in Test Cricket. As a captain he has smashed for a six 67 times. Brendon is 2nd in the list with 59 shots for the maximum.