During his fine 103 at Abu Dhabi yesterday, Younis Khan, veteran of 258 ODIs and a thousand battles in an almost 15-year career, had to scrap for dear life during a wonderful contest with New Zealand's quickest bowler Adam Milne.
He was in for the fifth ball of Pakistan's chase for 300 and went toe to toe with the express Palmerston North bowler. Younis faced a total of 25 balls from Milne and scored just five singles. It took him 10 balls to get the first of them. Younis scored 98 off 92 deliveries from the other five New Zealand bowlers.
Had Ross Taylor not dropped Younis on two, hard and low to his left off the luckless Milne, this vignette within the match would not have taken place. As it was, it proved riveting cricket.
It was his seventh ODI 100 and first for 78 innings. Pakistan feel they need him at No 3 for the World Cup. Yesterday showed why.
In a similar way Milne is making a strong case for cup selection. The Milne of today is far different from the callow young man who started out in a T20 international against Pakistan at Eden Park on Boxing Day, 2010.
