JOIN USHauritz spins Australia to series lead
Nathan Hauritz was Australia’s hero, the off-spinner grabbing five wickets to help the hosts score a comprehensive 170-run victory and take a 1-0 lead. Riding on Hauritz’s maiden five-wicket haul (5/101) and Mitchell Johnson’s three-wicket effort (3/46), Australia coasted to win shortly after lunch on the final day at the MCG.
Resuming at their overnight score of 170 for three in pursuit of a record 422 for victory, Pakistan were bundled out for 251 in their second innings, the visitors adding a mere 81 runs to their previous night’s total while losing seven wickets.
Johnson, who on Tuesday joined an elite band of cricketers to have scored 500 runs and taken 50 wickets in a calendar year, struck twice in two balls in the first over of the morning to deal a big body blow to Pakistan.
After Johnson’s strikes, Hauritz got into the act, picking up two from two as both bowlers came within inches of hat-tricks.
Johnson took just four deliveries to dismiss 19-year-old Umar Akmal, caught behind by Brad Haddin for 27. With his very next ball, the left-arm seamer removed Misbah-ul-Haq for a golden duck, also caught behind.
This double strike was followed by Hauritz’s own that dashed any faint hopes of Pakistan might have had of staging a fightback. Another left-arm paceman, Doug Bollinger, finished with figures of two for 42.
Shane Watson was named the man of the match for his 93 in the first innings and an unbeaten 120 -- his maiden Test century -- in the second.
The victory also catapulted Ricky Ponting as the most successful captain in Test history with 42 wins out of 65 matches in charge. The second Test begins in Sydney on Sunday.
Score Board
AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 454/5 decl
PAKISTAN (I Innings): 258 all out
AUSTRALIA (II Innings): 225/8 decl
PAKISTAN (II Innings, O/n: 170/3):
Farhat lbw Bollinger 12
Butt lbw Johnson 33
Iqbal b Hauritz 48
Yousuf c Katich b Hauritz 61
U Akmal c Haddin b Johnson 27
Misbah c Haddin b Johnson 0
K Akmal st Haddin b Hauritz 30
Aamer c Katich b Hauritz 0
Rauf b Bollinger 5
Ajmal c Watson b Hauritz 10
Asif (not out) 1
Extras (B-13, LB-4, W-2, NB-5) 24
Total (all out, 72 overs) 251
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-80, 3-116, 4-171, 5-171, 6-214, 7-214, 8-221, 9-250.
Bowling: Bollinger 15-5-42-2, Siddle 13-5-32-0, Hauritz 24-4-101-5, Johnson 18-6-46-3, Katich 2-0-13-0.