Younis Khan equals Sunil Gavaskar’s record, slams defiant 175 not out at SCG

Younis Khan created history as he became the first cricketer to score a century in 11 different countries after scoring his 34th hundred in the Sydney Test against Australia. Younis also equalled Sunil Gavaskar’s 34 Test tons. He was unbeaten on 175 in Pakistan’s first innings

cricket Updated: Jan 06, 2017 10:31 IST

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Pakistan batsman Younis Khan sweeps a ball as Australia's wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb looks on during the third day of the third cricket Test match at the SCG in Sydney on Thursday. Younis Khan remained unbeaten on 175 in Pakistan’s first innings.(AFP)

Younis Khan created history at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday when he smashed his 34th century and his fourth against Australia. During the third day of the Test, the veteran Pakistani right-hander notched up the landmark when he swept Nathan Lyon to deep square leg for a boundary to bring up his ton in style. On Friday, Younis Khan remained unbeaten on 175 after Pakistan were all out for 315 in their first innings. (SCORECARD)

Younis Khan became the second cricketer in Test history after Rahul Dravid to score a hundred in all 10 Test playing nations. With this knock, Younis has equalled former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of centuries. (Dhoni quits ODI captaincy: Statistical highlights of a glittering career)

However, Thursday’s innings from Younis Khan was historic for another reason.

Take a bow, Younis Khan! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/jy98Egxhem
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 5, 2017

Younis Khan became the first cricketer to score a century in 11 different nations. Since Pakistan play most of their ‘home’ Tests in the neutral venue of UAE following the refusal of international teams to tour the strife-torn nation due to security fears, the Pakistani right-hander has accumulated a total of 11 hundreds in the country.

CENTURY! A boundary to Younis and he now joins Lara, Jayawardena and Gavaskar with 34 Test hundreds: https://t.co/xoLDcy22eV #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/L3ytxsDiIS
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 5, 2017

Younis has already shattered every Pakistan record. He is the leading run-getter in Tests, going past Javed Miandad’s 8832 runs. He is also the leading century-getter for Pakistan in Tests, going past Inzamam-ul-Haq’s record of 25.

Ok... pic.twitter.com/qmoclqAE3P
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 5, 2017

Younis Khan also holds the world record for converting a score of 90-plus into a hundred 31 times. In his whole career, he has been dismissed just once in the 90s and that was once against New Zealand in Auckland in 2001.

His century in Sydney finally broke his jinx in Australia, where his previous highest was 87 in 2004 in the Melbourne Test. Among the top run-getters in Tests, Younis has the best conversion rate of fifties into hundreds among all batsmen. In 115 Tests, he has 33 fifties and 34 hundreds.

Younis’ century in Sydney also entered him into another unique list. At 39, Younis is the oldest Asian cricketer to have scored a century in Australia.

First Published: Jan 05, 2017 14:29 IST