Dominant Australia cruise to 2-0 lead

Australia 6 for 267 (Watson 69, White 55, Aamer 3-53) beat Pakistan 127 (Yousuf 58, McKay 3-15) by 140 runs

Australia produced a commanding all-round performance to take a 2-0 lead with a 140-run demolition of Pakistan at the SCG. After being led by Shane Watson and Cameron White in their 6 for 267, the hosts delivered a stinging bowling display to knock over the tourists for 127 in 37.3 overs.

Pakistan lost their first five wickets for 42 in an awful opening and the result added further to the troubles of the captain Mohammad Yousuf, who is being replaced after the series. Yousuf had mistakenly chosen to bowl first in the hope of getting an advantage from the overcast conditions in the afternoon, but all the support came for the fast men as the sun started to go down. The ball seamed and bounced dangerously for Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Clint McKay and the tourists could not cope.

Salman Butt (2) went in the fifth over nicking a shorter one from Bollinger and was taken at second slip by White. Three balls later the combination repeated the dismissal, dropping Pakistan to 2 for 7, when White dived to his left to catch the edge of Younis Khan.

Kamran Akmal was soon run out for 16 after chasing a quick single, having been sent back eventually by Yousuf and then beaten by McKay's direct hit in his follow through. Akmal's brother Umar joined him in the dressing room two deliveries later after his off stump was clipped by Siddle.

The hosts would not allow a recovery and lost their fifth man when Ricky Ponting leaped to his left at point for the superb one-handed take of Shoaib Malik (2). Yousuf was watching all the damage from the other end but was ultimately helpless, although he struck a strong six to long-on off Watson and was committed in his 58 off 94.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan kept him company for an explosive 27 before being stumped off Nathan Hauritz, who caught Yousuf at short fine leg. There were few highlights for Pakistan on a night dominated by the hosts. Bollinger had 2 for 19 off nine, Siddle and McKay (3 for 15) also gave up less than three runs an over, and Hauritz collected 2 for 45.

Australia were challenged in Brisbane on Friday but they controlled most of match from the moment Watson struck the opening ball for four through point. While Watson lit up the innings with 69 off 71 balls and dominated a 100-run stand in 19.5 overs with Shaun Marsh, the chances of a massive total were upset by the frugal Afridi. In the end it didn't matter.

Afridi removed both openers and it was difficult for the hosts to increase the pace until White led the final thrust. White followed his century at the Gabba with 55 off 58 and benefited from delaying the batting Powerplay until the last five overs.

White belted a six and a four in an over from Naved-ul-Hasan and scrambled to the finish, bringing up his fifty with a drive over point. He departed on the fourth-last ball - the wicket went to Mohammad Aamer, who returned 3 for 53 - and Brad Haddin helped out with an unbeaten 27 off 14.

Afridi was central in regaining control for Pakistan after the opening burst and gave up only 35 from 10, including a crucial eight-over spell of 2 for 25 after coming on in the bowling Powerplay. He picked up Watson and Marsh while Saeed Ajmal and Malik were also tight, going at slightly more than four an over.

Watson muscled nine boundaries and a six off Naved-ul-Hasan that landed not far from the dressing room at midwicket. After five overs he was 34 off 22 - Australia were soon speeding at 65 off 10 - and brought up his fifty from 42 deliveries before accepting a standing ovation.

Yousuf called for the bowling Powerplay as soon as possible and Watson was held back by the spin as Afridi arrived. Afridi struck when Watson tried for another clearance and was well taken by Malik at deep midwicket.

Marsh (41) also fell to Afridi when he attempted to hit to the leg side and got a leading edge to long-on in a troubling period for the home side. Ponting (13) lacked fluency for the second match in a row and Australia were 4 for 166 when Michael Clarke fell on 25. White rallied and the bowlers backed up his charge, giving Australia the chance to claim the five-match series in Adelaide on Tuesday.

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Bowlers hand Australia 3-0 clean-sweep

Australia 8 for 519 dec and 5 for 219 dec beat Pakistan 301 and 206 (Manzoor 77, Siddle 3-25, Hauritz 3-30) by 231 runs

Australia wrapped up their 12th consecutive Test victory over Pakistan on the final afternoon in Hobart, where Khurram Manzoor's fighting half-century was not enough to salvage a draw for the visitors. Nathan Hauritz added to his growing reputation as Test bowler by picking up the key wicket of Manzoor and finished with three, while Peter Siddle also grabbed a trio of victims.

Despite showers being forecast, the only sprinkling of rain came during the lunch break and it wasn't enough to delay Australia's charge to a series clean-sweep and a fifth Test win of the summer. Australia have now equalled the record for the most consecutive Test wins by any country over any other nation, matching the 12-game streak currently held by Sri Lanka over Bangladesh.

The only slight concerns for Australia came during a 66-run seventh-wicket stand between Manzoor and Mohammad Aamer. Manzoor, who came in for this Test at No. 3, enhanced his chances of keeping his place in the side with a patient 77 from 239 deliveries that gave Pakistan, for the morning at least, a tiny sniff of saving the game.

Manzoor showed impressive resolve for most of his innings but it didn't hold, and soon after an injudicious swipe against Hauritz he slashed at a cut against the spinner and was caught behind. The rest of Pakistan's resistance fell away and Hauritz had Umar Gul brilliantly caught at slip by Michael Clarke for a duck, before Mohammad Asif (0) was bowled by Mitchell Johnson.

Hauritz finished with 3 for 30 and was comfortably the leading wicket-taker for the series, with 18 at 23.05. Siddle was also happy with his 3 for 25, which was his best return of a lean summer, and he wrapped up the victory with the second new ball when Danish Kaneria played on for 1.

Pakistan's victory target of 438 was not the issue for Australia, they simply needed to grab the remaining wickets while the weather held up. Showers had been tipped on the final day but the Tasmanian local Ricky Ponting, who was confident in his knowledge of the state's weather, had his decision not to enforce the follow-on vindicated.

Australia began the day impressively wth Shoaib Malik caught behind off Siddle for 19, after adding only one to his overnight score. That was the key breakthrough for Australia as it opened the way into Pakistan's lower order, and the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed finished his debut Test with a disappointing batting return when he was caught at slip off Hauritz for 5.

Sarfraz departed in strange circumstances, when his edge clipped the gloves of Brad Haddin, went through the hands of Clarke and onto his boot before bouncing up for Clarke to complete the catch. If Pakistan had made their catches stick throughout the series it might have been a more enjoyable tour for them. Now they must wait until the two Tests in England in July to redeem themselves.

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Butt issues Australia warning

Salman Butt has warned Aussie batsmen to prepare for another searching examination when they embark on their second innings.

Butt top-scored with 71 as the visitors progressed to 331 for nine and a lead of 204 during another eventful day of Test cricket.

And while Butt, Mohammad Yousuf (46) and Umar Akmal (49) all made batting look easy on the unusually grassy Sydney wicket, the stylish left-hander insists conditions still heavily favour of the bowlers.

"They've been tough throughout these two days and I think the pitch might change slightly but not that much," Butt said.

"It's one of those where you're never settled and you're never in.
"The time you think that you're in and suddenly the ball does something, so you've got to have a good laugh about it and stay relaxed because it's not under your control.

"Definitely this pitch is not going to change completely. It's not going to become a batting paradise. There will always be something for the seamers and hopefully the spinners also get help and if Danish (Kaneria) can do what he's capable of we'll be well off."

But while the opener was eager to put doubt in his opponents' minds, local paceman Doug Bollinger, who led a late fightback which saw the hosts take seven for 141 after tea, reckons the wicket is becoming increasingly placid.

"It's doing a bit with the new ball obviously but when it's not swinging or anything it's a good place to bat as you saw with the (Pakistan) openers," said Bollinger, who continued his impressive recent form by claiming three for 70.

"So you fight hard and then you'll get your runs from it."
Despite facing a sizeable first-innings deficit, the lethal left-armer warned the tourists not to get ahead of themselves, insisting the hosts are capable of turning things around.
"It was a good fightback by the guys," he said. "It was a bit frustrating early but they were two-for at tea and now they're nine down," he said.

"So I think just try and get the last one tomorrow and then get our batting hats on for a certain amount of time and get something to bowl to in the second innings."
Bollinger, a clear favourite with the SCG faithful on the opening two days, added of his stunning recent form: "I'm just really enjoying myself at the moment, just enjoying playing Test cricket and just being around the guys.

"I'm really enjoying taking wickets and how I'm bowling at the moment. It's just the old thing of just keep putting in and they (wickets) will come late. That's just what I'm clinging to and I'm enjoying the fight of Test cricket."

Ricky Ponting wary of skilful and unpredictable Pakistan team on eve of Test series

THERE was one word Ricky Ponting used to sum up Pakistan: mystery.

It's not so much who the Australians will be up against in the first Test of the series, beginning at the MCG today, but what sort of cricket they will play.

Ponting rates Pakistan more highly than the West Indies, who the Australians have just beaten 2-0 in a three-Test series.

However, Pakistani batsmen have always been as dashing as they can be brittle in the attempt.

That was illustrated only a fortnight ago during Pakistan's third and final Test against New Zealand in Napier, when opening batsman Imran Farhat made a century, and the next five batsmen all made single figures, including three ducks.

"They're a more skilled group of players than the West Indies, there's no doubt about that," Ponting said. "We know with Pakistan that when they put their best foot forward they are a very, very good cricket team.

"They do have a lot of mystery about them. I think that's probably the word that sums them up the best.

"They are unpredictable. One day they can be brilliant, another day they can be pretty ordinary, so we've got to make sure they have more ordinary days than brilliant ones over the next few weeks."

Pakistan had mixed results on its recent tour of New Zealand, narrowly losing the first Test and winning the second before the third was washed out after being evenly poised.

Captain Mohammad Yousuf believes that because Pakistan has already been on the road for more than a month, and played a drawn lead-up match against Tasmania, his team should be better prepared than the West Indies when they arrived last month.

"So far I'm very happy with the team from the past three Test matches," Yousuf said.

"We played good cricket and I am pleased with the way we played.

"That tour will help us, the conditions are very similar."

That Pakistan is playing international cricket at all, let alone so competitively, is a matter for great celebration given the tumultuous state of the country and the fact that teams can no longer tour because of danger of terrorism.

Pakistan has recently added two exciting young players to their team, left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Aamer and batsman Umar Akmal, the younger brother of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who scored a century on debut in New Zealand.

Yousuf will be the most highly-rated batsman in this series. He is five on the official International Cricket Council rankings.

He was No 1 two years ago before being banned for defecting to the rebel Indian Cricket League.

Australians will best remember him scoring a wonderful century at the MCG five years ago as Yousuf Youhana before his conversion to Islam.

That was against an attack which included Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne.

"That was a top bowling attack," Yousuf said. "McGrath and Shane Warne were the best bowlers in the world. Ever. They took 1400 wickets for Australia.

"I will try for the same performance. I will try for 300," he joked given that Warne and McGrath are no longer about.

It is no surprise then given the change in personnel that the Pakistanis fancy their chances more than when they were whitewashed 3-0 when last in Australia.

However, Yousuf admits his team will miss the flair and experience of former captain Younis Khan, who stepped down amid typical Pakistani mayhem.

Ponting agrees: "It's probably been a little bit unsettled over the past few months, with Younus being out of the side, and they've had different openers as well."

As far as batting is concerned, "even Yousuf's only been back playing Test cricket for six months (following an 18-month ICL ban). It's not a long time. They've probably been a bit unsettled but you can't question the quality or the calibre of some of their players.

"They're all very capable. You stack that up with the fast bowlers and the spinners . . . and all of a sudden it looks like a very formidable side."

The pace attack of Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul is complemented by world-class leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and unusual off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

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Battle of the unpredictable begins

Match facts
December 26-30, 2009
Start time 10.30am (23.30 GMT)

Big Picture
It's hard to know what to expect from a contest between the team that has played the most Tests over the past two years and the side that has played the fewest. Australia's hectic schedule means they've played 27 Tests since this time in 2007, while Pakistan's home circumstances have limited them to eight Tests in the same period. Australia are coming off a 2-0, though tightly-fought, series against West Indies. Pakistan have just drawn 1-1 in New Zealand.

In years gone you could confidently predict not just an Australian win, but a rout, so dominant have they been against Pakistan since the mid-90s. But this is a different Australia side and as the series against West Indies proved, one closer back to the pack than ever before. This Pakistan side retains the essence of all Pakistan sides and thus capable of anything.

What can be expected for sure is some high quality pace bowling. After a decade of batting riches, cricket suddenly finds itself with good fast bowlers floating around and few are more exciting than the ones Australia and Pakistan have; between them, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammmad Asif and Umar Gul are likely to determine the fate of the series.

If Pakistan feel they have the better spinners in Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal, Australia will be more than confident that their batting is by far the stronger. But if all goes well, it could be the most closely-fought series between the two sides since the 1994-95 tussle in Pakistan.

Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)
Australia - WDWLW
Pakistan - DWLDL
Watch out for
Doug Bollinger: He has become Australia's newest cult bowling hero. He entertains his team-mates with his antics, thrills the fans with his wholeheartedness and good humour, and worries the opposition with his pace, swing and consistency. Chris Gayle made no secret of the fact that he felt Bollinger was the most dangerous of Australia's fast men during the recent Test series and Bollinger will be desperate to ensure his place in the attack becomes permanent.

Three hundreds on an impressive Pakistan A tour to Australia in July brought Umar Akmal into the national side and he hasn't stopped scoring since; he already has two international hundreds and a spate of fifties. He was hugely impressive in his maiden Test tour against New Zealand and his clear-headed aggression and a steady technique should win him more fans here.

Team news
All the talk in the lead-up to the Test has surrounded Ricky Ponting's fitness after suffering elbow tendon damage in the third Test against West Indies. He trained well on Thursday and Friday and is more than likely to take his place in the side come Boxing Day. On the off chance he is ruled out, Phillip Hughes will come in. Siddle also looks set to return in place of fellow Victorian Clint McKay after sitting out the WACA Test against West Indies with a hamstring strain. Siddle bowled without trouble in a state one-day match on Wednesday. A long-standing groin problem for Nathan Hauritz has opened the doors for young legspinner Steve Smith, but Australia will give Hauritz time till the morning of the Test before making a final call.

Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz/Steve Smith, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pakistan have no such injury concerns though a niggle to the fourth finger on Danish Kaneria's spinning hand is being looked at. There is talk in the camp of playing an extra spinner in place of a fast bowler, but that will depend on the surface and a decision is expected later. Pakistan will not readily dismantle the pace trio that served them so well in New Zealand.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Faisal Iqbal, 4 Mohammad Yousuf (capt), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Mohammad Aamer, 9 Umar Gul/Saeed Ajmal, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Danish Kaneria

Pitch and conditions
The drop-in MCG pitches have generally provided a slowish surface in recent years and the runs haven't always flowed as easily as at other venues. The forecast for the five days is mostly good, with temperatures expected to rise as the game goes on.

Stats and Trivia
Pakistan have played eight Tests at the MCG for two wins, in 1978-79 and 1981-82
Australia's loss to South Africa in Melbourne last summer ended a run of nine consecutive wins for Australia at the MCG
The MCG is the only one of Australia's five major venues at which Michael Clarke has not scored a Test century
Quotes
"I think the conditions here and probably in Sydney as well will help Pakistan."
Michael Clarke

"Because Australia don't have McGrath and Warney anymore, there are more chances of sides coming and playing well over here."
Salman Butt

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Bouncers on menu for Ponting and Hughes

It won't matter whether Ricky Ponting or Phillip Hughes play against Pakistan on Boxing Day, they can both expect a barrage of short balls. Australia are waiting on Ponting's fitness after he was hit on the left elbow ducking a Kemar Roach bouncer in Perth and Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, said they unearthed a glaring weakness in the Australian's game.

Gayle said other teams should study the way Roach operated to Ponting in dismissing him three times in the series and forcing him to retire hurt. "Our plan to bowl short at him worked really well and I think they are tactics that other Test teams can use with a lot of success against him," Gayle wrote in his Daily Telegraph column.

"Ricky is a person who will always hook and pull - those are some of his favourite shots - but they can also be his major weakness. If you have a bowler with a bit of pace I think you can give him some real trouble."

Gayle said Roach tried to hustle Ponting by bowling at his body and getting him to hook or pull. "Ricky definitely looked very uncomfortable," he said. "The plans that we came up with weren't from watching any videos of Ricky, they were just my gut instinct."

Hughes is on standby for Ponting and had his own problems with the short ball during the tour of England, which included some rough treatment from Steve Harmison in a warm-up game and Andrew Flintoff in two Tests. He has re-found form after being cut from the national squad and is hoping to get a chance to show he is ready for a long-term run in the side.

''Being dropped is a part of the sport, and I'm a big believer in that,'' Hughes said in the Sydney Morning Herald. ''That's life. What has happened has happened.

''To be in a squad now for a Boxing Day Test, it's the one as a kid you always love to watch and always want to be involved in. It's such a big thing. I've been feeling good in myself but to get the numbers on the board in this game [he scored 122 and 7 against Victoria] … I'll go to Melbourne and be ready if a chance does come up."

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