Pakistan face daunting task

Chasing the improbable target, Pakistan were 114 for one in 37 overs at close. Salman Butt was batting on 58 in the company of Azhar Ali (28).

Leg-spinner Steven Smith had dismissed Imran Farhat for 24. But the target could prove too high a mountain for Pakistan to climb.

West Indies' 418 for seven against Australia in 2003 is the record while Pakistan's highest winning total against any Test nation was 315 for nine against Australia in Karachi in 1994. They have lost their last 12 Tests against the Australians.

Simon Katich added 83 to the 80 he scored in the first innings, batting for more than seven hours in total, before he fell to the fifth ball after lunch from Umar Gul.

The dogged left-hander edged Gul to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who took a similar catch two balls later off Mohammad Asif to account for Marcus North (20).

Debutant wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who took four catches in Pakistan's first innings, kept the scoreboard moving with an enterprising 47 after taking a painful blow to the groin from a delivery by Gul.

Paine became Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi's first victim of the match when he was bowled after adding 74 in 79 minutes for the ninth wicket with Ben Hilfenhaus.

Score Board

AUSTRALIA (I Innings) 253 all out
PAKISTAN (I Innings) 148 all out
AUSTRALIA (II Innings, O/n: 100/4)
Watson c Farhat b Asif    31
Katich c K Akmal b Gul    83
Ponting lbw Asif    0
Clarke b Gul    12
Hussey c Farhat b Gul    0
Johnson b Gul    30
North c K Akmal b Asif    20
Paine b Afridi    47
Smith lbw Kaneria    12
Hilfenhaus (not out)    56
Bollinger b Kaneria    21
Extras (B-6, LB-5, W-2, NB-9)    22     
Total (all out, 91 overs)    334
Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-73, 3-97, 4-97, 5-149, 6-188, 7-188, 8-208, 9-282.        
Bowling: Aamer 18-3-67-0, Asif 21-3-77-3, Gul 21-5-61-4, Kaneria 17-2-74-2, Afridi 14-0-44-1.

PAKISTAN (II Innings)
Farhat c Watson b Smith    24
Butt (batting)    58
Ali (batting)    28
Extras (B-2, NB-2)    4     
Total (1 wicket; 37 overs)    114
Fall of wicket: 1-50.
Bowling: Bollinger 8-4-27-0, Hilfenhaus 10-5-22-0, Johnson 6-0-29-0, Smith 13-2-34-1.