BBC SPORT | Cricket | Waugh back to his best

Third Test, Sharjah. Australia 444 v Pakistan 163-6 (stumps, day two)

Steve Waugh hit his 28th Test century and Shane Warne took three wickets as Australia moved into a commanding position in the Emirates.

Waugh's ton - his first since August last year - removed any linghering doubt over his selection for the Ashes

And in reply, Pakistan were immediately in big trouble, with Warne and Glenn McGrath having them 76 for five at one point.

A recovery of sorts was instigated by Hasan Raza and Saqlain Mushtaq, putting on 63 runs with their unbroken seventh wicket partnership.

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But Pakistan still need another 82 runs to avoid the follow on with virtually no batting left.

The first half of the day was all about Waugh.

After grinding out 30 runs in the first session of Sunday's play to move to 63, Waugh then scored much faster after lunch when he began to run out of batting partners.

And when number 11 McGrath came in, Waugh took strike against leg-spinner Danish Kaneria on 83 not out.

He proceeded to go 4, 4, 0, 0, 6, 6 to reach three figures in superb style and ended unbeaten on 103.

Ricky Ponting departed early on in the second day, when Waqar Younis bowled the number three with the second new ball.

Steve Waugh pulls Kaneria for runs
Waugh was seeing the ball well all day

By then Ponting had added just eight runs to his overnight score of 142.

Waqar trapped Damien Martyn lbw first ball. But Adam Gilchrist denied him the hat-trick, and went on to hit 34 before being brilliant caught by wicket-keeper Rashid Latif.

The catch was held off a Kaneria leg-spinner which Gilchrist attempted to cut fine.

Kaneria also dismissed Warne and Andy Bichel cheaply after lunch, but Waqar was the most effective bowler, claiming figures of four for 55.

In reply, Pakistan's batsmen, who were twice dismissed for less than 60 last week, were in similar disarray early on.

Injudicious

McGrath trapped Taufeeq Umar lbw and then had Younis Khan caught behind playing an injudicious shot.

Three balls later, Warne trapped Imran Farhat lbw for 29 to make it 50-3.

Misbah-ul-Haq was then lbw to Bichel for 11 and Faisal Iqbal caught behind off Warne for nine.

Latif became Warne's third victim when edging him to first slip for 17, but Raza (37 not out) and Saqlain (27 not out) held firm up until stumps.

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

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (capt), Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami. 12th man: Imran Nazir.

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


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