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Batsmen find form but bowlers made to sweat
Farhat (107) and Raza (75) lead a gallant fightback after India had amassed 414/7 dec.
Left-handed opener Imran Farhat hit a brilliant century against India on Sunday after the tourists had declared their first innings closed at a mammoth 414-7.
The 23-year-old Farhat scored 107 to help Pakistan A reach 212-4 at the close on the second day of the three-day tour match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground.
Two other Test players Faisal Iqbal (13) and Asim Kamal (four) were at the crease when bad light stopped play eight overs before the scheduled end of play.
Farhat, who played the last of his 15 Tests in Australia in December 2004, led a home team recovery with a 160-run stand for the third wicket along with skipper Hasan Raza who made a 62-ball 75.
Farhat saw his opening partner Bazid Khan and Mohammad Waseem fall with the home team score on 26, but he kept his composure to blunt a combined pace and spin Indian atack.
He got a reprieve on 95, when Yuvraj Singh put him down at mid-wicket off paceman Irfan Pathan, before hitting off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for a couple to reach the three-figure mark off 143 balls with 16 boundaries.
He hit a six off Harbhajan before falling to the same bowler in the next over.
"It is a nice feeling to hit a hundred against an opponent like India. I know it can help revive my career," said Farhat, who is not among the 18 probables for the Indian series.
Raza also played some well-timed shots during his breezy knock, flicking Pathan for a six to add to his eleven fours.
Ajit Agarkar gave the tourists the initial breakthrough when he forced an edge off Bazid, before Pathan trapped another Test discard Waseem leg-before in the ninth over.
The tourists had resumed on 298-4. Wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni hit five boundaries in his rapid 22 before India declared their innings at lunch with Venkatsai Laxman on 54 and Yuvraj Singh on 59.
Yuvraj welcomed the chance of batting practice befor the first Test here starting Friday. "You need to get in the right groove before the Test match," he said.
