Younis scores rare hat-trick of hundreds as Pakistan dominate Australia

Accumulation, acceleration and domination. Younis Khan and Azhar Ali shepherded Pakistan to a dominant 304 for 2 on day one of the second Test in Abu Dhabi, where a confounded Australia's thirst for wickets went almost totally unquenched.
In their quest for a first series victory over Australia in 20 years, Pakistan's batsmen set down the most ideal platform possible, guided largely by the wonderfully correct and composed Younis, who became the first man to compile three consecutive centuries against Australia in 90 years.
It had seemed difficult to imagine that Australia's bowlers could look more ineffective than they had done in Dubai, yet the Abu Dhabi surface offered them still less to work with, and the search for skills of spin and reverse swing remained a fruitless one. After Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Johnson struck either side of lunch, Younis and Azhar added an unbeaten 208.
Michael Clarke tried every conceivable field setting, from an array of catchers in front of the wicket on either side of the batsmen, to the rare posting of a man at straight hit, prompting Pakistani queries about the legality of a fielder standing directly behind the bowler.