Luck was on Pakistan’s side as England dropped four catches.
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Meanwhile, England fast bowler Steven Finn accepted it would take something special to deny Pakistan victory. Amir and Younis added 97 runs for the ninth wicket before James Anderson (1-78) trapped the latter LBW.
“We’ve fought hard to try make the most of what we have in this game, so we’ll most definitely come out tomorrow to try to bat all day with the six wickets we have left and see where that can get us”.
He was Pakistan’s first star and his 970-minute 337 against West Indies in 1958 is still the longest Test innings in history and earned him the moniker “Little Master”. Younis was searching for form ahead of the crucial Test but responded when it mattered most with his sixth Test double-ton.
Finn admitted he and his fellow bowlers simply had no answer in the end to Younus – who batted for more than seven-and-a-half hours – and to a lesser extent Asad Shafiq, who also made a century the previous day.
Jonny Bairstow was unbeaten on 70 for the hosts who trail by 20 runs and still face an uphill task to save the match and prevent Pakistan from levelling the series at 2-2.
By contrast it took Younis 13 balls to add his first run Saturday.
Moeen Ali completely failed to do that for England going at over five runs per over in his 16 overs, and while he took a wicket he couldn’t tie down the Pakistan batsmen.
In the end it took a stunning catch from Stuart Broad to remove Shafiq, but by then the real damage had been done, a glimpse of Pakistan’s batting future left behind for a capacity crowd at The Oval to take home with them on a gloriously warm summer evening.
Before this match the 38-year-old’s highest score of the series was the 33 he posted in his first innings of the opening Test at Lord’s.
Gary Ballance was four not out and Yorkshire team-mate Bairstow 14 not out.
On the other hand, Mohammad Amir (39 not out), who remained run-less for 23 deliveries, got off the mark with a six off Moeen and followed it back to back boundaries in the next over to bring the 50-run stand with Younis. By the end of 15 overs, England were placed at 36 for one with Alex Hales (12) and Joe Root (39) doing the grinding work. He began his day as he meant to go on, with a leg-side flick from his very first ball of the morning, as he advanced out of the crease to meet James Anderson, and tucked a respectable off-stump delivery through fine leg for four.
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The experienced Younis shepherded the tail well, hitting four sixes and 31 fours as the England attack toiled in the sunshine.
