Australia ended fourth day of the first Test in driver’s seat but Mohammed Yousuf and Umar Akmal held out hope for Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
At stumps, the visitors had moved to 170 for 3 in their pursuit of 422 that the Australians had set for them as target. Skipper Yousuf was batting on 45 and Umar Akmal, who got a life just before close of play, was there on 27.
Most of the fourth day’s play belonged to Shane Watson and 17-year-old Mohammed Aamer. The battle between the two was intriguing and while Watson carved out a superb century, Aamer impressed by picking up a five-wicket haul to become the youngest paceman to do so in Test cricket.
Operating from around the stumps, he angled the ball in and moved it away to trouble the Australians.
He had Michael Clarke edging one to the wicketkeeper, while Marcus North, the left-hander played on to his stumps.
Brad Haddin’s wicket completed Aamer’s fiver.
The Aussie wicketkeeper edged one to the keeper for a duck.
From the overnight 111/3, Australia were struggling at 161 for 6, although they had, by then, raked up a lead in excess of 350. Mitchell Johnson added a
few with Watson and after his and Hauritz’s dismissal Ponting declared with the score of 225 and a lead of 421.
{{/usCountry}}few with Watson and after his and Hauritz’s dismissal Ponting declared with the score of 225 and a lead of 421.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan started positively, though they lost Imran Farhat to Doug Bollinger.
Faisal Iqbal, playing
aggressively, added 62 with Salman Butt to take the score to 80 but then the opener fell.
After adding 36 with Yousuf, Iqbal was beaten by a beauty from Hauritz. The ball turned viciously and Iqbal, shaping for a cut, was bowled. Yousuf and Umar Akmal then played out the rest of the day.