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Misbah outlines another Test match goal

Pakistan captain wants to take on India in the five-day game before calling time on his career

Misbah-ul-Haq has achieved plenty as Pakistan captain, but the 42-year-old has one more goal before his time is up: he wants to lead his country in a Test match against India.

Misbah will be skipper for Pakistan's tour of Australia this summer but the veteran batsman has yet to be in charge of the national side against their neighbouring arch-rivals.

The two sides haven't met in Test cricket since 2007, when Pakistan ventured across the border for a three-match series in which they were beaten 1-0.

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Misbah was outstanding in that series, making 464 runs at 116 with two hundreds and a fifty.

Since, political tensions between the countries have prevented a resumption in their Test match battles.

"As a player I would like to play against India," Misbah said. "I would want to captain our side against them.

"But unless politics is kept away from cricket than there can't be a resumption of bilateral ties."

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Misbah added that Pakistan had been keen to renew a Test-playing relationship with their neighbours however the idea was last week rebuffed by BCCI president Anurag Thakur.

"There are no tests or bilateral matches scheduled for this year with Pakistan and the question of playing against Pakistan today does not arise," Thakur said.

"We have defeated Pakistan in three wars and all the world cup cricket matches.

"We can still maul Pakistan. But it is important to isolate it globally."

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Misbah took over the Test captaincy of Pakistan in 2010 and has since taken the reins on 46 occasions, winning 22 matches – the most of any leader in his country's history.

In that time Pakistan have risen to be the world's number one Test nation.

"It is an unbelievable feeling to know that in six years we have reached the summit; a feeling of immense pleasure and satisfaction," Misbah write in his cricket.com.au column last month.

"It is a huge achievement to be at top of the world.

"It is just like winning a World Cup for your team, therefore everyone in the team wanted to touch the summit no matter whether it was for a day or a week or a month.

"The number one tag was in the minds of all the players and it motivated us a lot."