October 21 Monday 2002
Steve Waugh defies critics with 28th Test century 

SHARJAH: Australian captain Steve Waugh acknowledges his Test century against Pakistan on the second day of the third Test on October 20, 2002

SHARJAH: Australian captain Steve Waugh silenced his detractors Sunday with a spectacular century on the second day of the third Test against Pakistan here. Waugh returned unbeaten on 103, his 28th Test century and the first after 16 barren innings, as Australia were bowled out for 444 midway through the post-lunch session. Pakistan, needing 245 to avoid the follow-on, went to tea on 29-1 with Imran Farhat on 10 and Younis Khan on three. Taufiq Umar was the batsman out, trapped leg-before by Glenn McGrath to give the fast bowler his 397th Test wicket.

Waugh, under pressure to retain the captaincy for the upcoming Ashes series against old foe England, struck timely form to hit 13 boundaries and two sixes. Stranded on 82 when last man McGrath joined him, the 37-year-old smashed leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for 20 runs in one over to race to the coveted mark. After sweeping two boundaries, Waugh smote two sixes off successive deliveries over long-on and then raised his bat in delight amidst loud cheers from team-mates in the dressing room. Waugh overtook former team-mate Allan Border to move to fourth place in the list of leading centurions behind Indians Sunil Gavaskar (34) and Sachin Tendulkar (30) and Australian legend Don Bradman (29). The aggressive onslaught paid off as McGrath, who made three in a last-wicket stand of 26 with Waugh, was dismissed soon after by Pakistani captain Waqar Younis. 

Younis finished with four for 55, while Kaneria had three for 128 from 36 overs. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq's two wickets in 45 overs cost 159 runs. Australia, who began the day at 298-3, slipped to 308-5 before fighting back to go to lunch on 389-6 in their first innings. Waqar, who claimed the second new ball soon after the start, removed Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn off successive deliveries. Ponting added just eight to his overnight score of 142 when he was clean bowled by a superb delivery that cut back after pitching. 

Next ball, Martyn was rapped on the pads by a fast yorker and declared leg-before by Indian umpire Srinivas Venkataraghvan. Ponting batted for more than six hours under the hot sun to compile 150 that included 14 boundaries and a six. Adam Gilchrist, who denied Waqar a hat-trick, hammered 34 in a sixth-wicket stand of 55 with Waugh before he was caught behind trying to cut Kaneria. Australia lost three wickets for 15 runs after lunch as Kaneria picked up Shane Warne and Andrew Bichel while Brett Lee was run out. Australia have already wrapped up the three-match series by winning the first Test in Sri Lanka by 41 runs and the second here by an innings inside two days.