BBC SPORT | Cricket | Ponting sets the standard

First Test, Colombo, day one (close): Australia 330-5 v Pakistan

Ricky Ponting smashed his 11th Test century to give Australia the upper hand on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan.

Ponting clubbed 141 off just 163 balls, but he was one of three batsmen to fall in the evening session as Pakistan fought back valiantly.

Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq removed Steve and Mark Waugh late in the day as Australia fell from 272 for two to 330 for five at stumps.

Photo Gallery: All the action from Colombo

Australia's record-breaking openers had been parted early on, when Matthew Hayden was caught by Imran Nazir off Waqar Younis with the score on five.

Steve Waugh
The Aussie skipper departs the field

And Justin Langer was dropped first ball off Waqar.

But he quickly settled into a rhythm with the arrival of Ponting, bashing out runs at a rate of more than one a minute.

Their 183-run partnership for the second wicket came to an end in mid-afternoon when Langer was caught behind off Abdur Razzaq for 72.

The loss was soon compensated for as Ponting and Mark Waugh scored freely.

Either side of tea the pair added 84 runs at five an over before Ponting was caught by Younis Khan off the bowling off Waqar.

The Waugh twins added just 30 runs together.

Mark was caught and bowled by Saqlain for 55, but not before he had become only the third Australian to pass 8,000 Test runs.

Pakistan's comeback stepped up a peg in the fading light when captain Steve was caught by Younis for 31.

But one over later, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn accepted the umpires' offer to leave the field as visibility worsened.

Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (capt), Taufiq Umar, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammmad Sami.

Umpires: Steve Bucknor (WIs), Srinivas Venkataraghvan (Ind) Match referee: Clive Lloyd (WIs).


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