#OTD in 2017 | Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan drew curtains to their illustrious career with a series win

A series win, an enticing contest and a Test match for the ages. Pakistan veterans Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan could not have asked for a better send-off.

It was May 14th, 2017, when the Pakistan legends jointly closed their respective chapters of international careers, which had enormous highs and lows. 

For context, the backstory shows that the Test series between the two nations (Pakistan and West Indies) was on the line. The series then was levelled 1-1, with the visitors dominating the better part of the decider.

Setting a target of 304 runs at a spicy surface of the Windsor Park, Dominica, in the 3rd Test, Pakistan were left with the task to bundle out the hosts in about 97 overs, with the West Indies' score at the end of the penultimate day reading 7/1.

Misbah and Younis had already done their jobs, with the former scoring a valiant 59-run knock in the first innings and the latter surviving a collapse in the following innings, working hard for his 35 runs. But as the last day of the 3rd Test beckoned, the duo were yet to reach another high in their already-successful careers.

Marching towards the ultimate goal, the touring side had already laid one hand on the trophy, with ace spinner Yasir Shah aiming to bid Misbah and Younis a perfect farewell.

That said, Pakistan cricket’s story cannot end without a plot twist, which came in the form of Roston Chase. Although the all-rounder spent hours pushing for a draw at the crease, his partners kept throwing their wickets away.

Chase finally found support from Jason Holder, Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel. The batters led a block fest with the series at stake. But with seven balls to spare in the day, Gabriel fell short of patience and went for a wild slog off Shah, who broke the Caribbean defiance as Pakistan clinched a 2-1 away Test series win. 

At last, it was a happy goodbye for those dressed for success. Misbah made his Test debut in 2001 and ended his career with 5,222 runs in 75 matches. Younis was no different and accumulated as many as 10,099 runs in a 17-year-long career.