Younus ton as Pakistan save Test

KOLKATA, India -- Younus Khan scored his 15th Test century as Pakistan battled to a draw against India in Kolkata.

Pakistan were set an unlikely victory target of 345 on the final day of the second Test and were struggling on 78 for four before Younus with an unbeaten 107 and Mohammad Yousuf (44 not out) came together for an unbroken stand of 136 to save the game.

It ensured the tourists will go into the third and final Test in Bangalore with a chance of leveling the three-match series.

India began the day 141 for two and, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37) and Sourav Ganguly (46) brought up their 50-run third wicket partnership in 77 balls, both were bowled by returning paceman Shoaib Akhtar.

Ganguly reached 6000 runs in 98 Test matches despite being denied another home-ground 50. Rahul Dravid remained unbeaten on eight when the declaration came with the hosts on 184 for four after adding 43 runs in 6.4 overs in 50 minutes on Tuesday morning.

India paceman Zaher Khan made the early breakthrough as he took a return catch to dismiss opener Yasir Hameed for 14.

After lunch, India captain Anil Kumble (two for 73) claimed a brace of wickets. First, the spinner went past the outside edge of Kamran Akmal to clean bowl the other opener for 14.

Salman Butt followed lbw for a 91-ball 11, and Misbah-ul-Haq was next back in the pavilion for just six when he was undone by the pace of Munaf Patel and was bowled between bat and pad.

But Younus and the experienced Yousuf steadied the ship, taking Pakistan to 214 for four when the match was called off with no prospect of a result.

India take a 1-0 series lead into the third and final Test which starts on Saturday as reports in South Africa say that Gary Kirsten has agreed to become their new coach.

The former Proteas opener was interviewed for the role last week and promised to give the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) an answer within 10 days.

Kirsten had said the start date had been a stumbling block in negotiations, but that problem appears to have been overcome with reports suggesting he will take over on March 1, 2008.

Stand-in captain Dwayne Bravo slammed 45 off 24 balls to give West Indies a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third of five one-day internationals on Tuesday.

Bravo, leading the side in the absence of Chris Gayle who is recovering from a hamstring strain, won the toss and asked the hosts to bat at the Harare Sports Club with the teams locked at 1-1 in the series.

Zimbabwe lost wickets regularly as the batsmen struggled to cope with the pace of Ravi Rampaul, Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor and were all out 139.

The West Indies knocked off the runs quickly, reaching their target with one ball of the 38th over left.

It was left to Bravo to provide the flourish -- he came in with the score on 82 for four in the 20th over -- and he responded with six fours and three sixes in his 45.

The fourth match will be played on Friday in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo. E-mail to a friend