When Younis Khan reached his century on the first day, he made a
defiant gesture towards the pavilion, which was apparently meant for
Bob Woolmer, who had berated him for his first-ball dismissal on the
fifth morning of the Kolkata Test. So here he headed for his
double-century, as Anil Kumble bowled to him from round the wicket,
with two slips, cover, mid-off, mid-on, midwicket, square leg, short
fine leg and a man a bit wide of the long-leg boundary. "Drive me
through the spaces on the off side," Kumble seemed to be saying, but
Younis wasn't tempted.
Kumble, when he had bowled from over the wicket, had drifted down leg
often, and he did so here again. Younis tickled it past the man at
short fine leg, and the ball rolled to the advertising hoardings.
Younis pumped the air, took off his helmet, raised his arms. There
were no gestures of defiance this time; just happiness at a job well
done.