Asif’s six for 41 puts Pakistan in charge at SCG

.. Australia bundled out for 127
PAKISTAN swing bowler Mohammad Asif made a mockery of Ricky Ponting’s decision to bat first on one of the greenest SCG pitches in living memory yesterday as Australia was bundled out for 127 in the second Test.

Asif (6-41) made the most of the early inroads by fellow quick Mohammad Sami (3-27) as the home side crumbled in the humid, overcast conditions on a rain-affected opening day.

In reply, the tourists reached 0-14 at stumps with Imran Farhat and Salman Butt surviving the 4.1 overs before bad light ended play early.

It was Australia’s equal fourth lowest total against Pakistan but it could have been even worse.

The hosts slipped to 7-62 at one stage before Mitchell Johnson (38) and Nathan Hauritz (21) put on 42 to save their side from even greater embarrassment.

Sami (3-27) initiated the carnage by having Australia’s three top batsmen back in the pavilion with the tally having only just reached double figures.

Asif then started gnawing his way through the lineup, using his probing swing bowling to steadily dislodge batsmen as he claimed six straight wickets for the tourists.

Sami started in sensational fashion by dismissing Phillip Hughes and skipper Ponting for ducks in successive deliveries in the fourth over.

Hughes endured a forgettable 10-ball stay, being dropped by Umar Akmal at gully off the first ball he faced before being caught at second slip two overs later.

For the second successive Test against Pakistan, Ponting was caught on the leg-side boundary, ungainly flicking a ball off his hip as the crowd watched in horror.

The shot raised concerns about how much Ponting is being hindered by his elbow injury.

Sami, in his first Test appearance for 25 months, narrowly missed having Shane Watson (6) lbw next ball to claim a hat-trick before removing the opener in the eighth over.

Watson was one of the few top order batsmen to be undone by a good ball rather than poor shot selection in the testing conditions.

Michael Clarke (3) used the referral system to stay alive following a questionable LBW decision from umpire Asoka de Silva before being bowled between bat and pad by Asif with the score at 36.

Asif was also on a hat-trick after dismissing Mike Hussey (28) and Marcus North (10) in successive balls in the 22nd over as Australia plunged to 6-51.

Brad Haddin (6) tried to hit Australia out of trouble but was caught at mid-off off Asif’s bowling with the total at 62.

Further showers halted play after tea before Johnson and Hauritz saved some blushes, ensuring Australia progressed beyond their lowest Test total against Pakistan of 80.

They took the long handle to spinner Danish Kaneria, hitting 17 off one over to lift Australia to three figures to loud cheers from the rain-soaked crowd.
Australia leads the three-Test series 1-0.
AUSTRALIA first innings
S. Watson c (wkpr) Kamran Akmal b Sami 6
P. Hughes c Iqbal b Sami 0
R. Ponting c Gul b Sami 0
M. Hussey c Misbah-ul-Haq b Asif 28
M. Clarke b Asif 3
M. North c Kamran Akmal b Asif 10
B. Haddin c Yousuf b Asif 6
M. Johnson c Farhat b Asif 38
N. Hauritz b Asif 21
P. Siddle not out 1
D. Bollinger b Gul 9
Extras (b1, lb2, w1, nb 1) 5
Total (all out; 44.2 overs ) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-10, 4-36, 5-51, 6-51, 7-62, 8-106, 9-117, 10-127.
Bowling: Mohammad Asif 20-6-41-6, Mohammad Sami 12-4-27-3 (1nb), Umar Gul 10.2-0-38-1 (1w), Danish Kaneria 2-0-18-0.

PAKISTAN first innings
I.Farhat not out 9
S. Butt not out 3
Extras (lb 1, nb1) 2
Total (0 wickets; 4.1 overs) 14
Bowling: D. Bollinger 2.1-0-4-0 (1nb), P. Siddle 2-0-9-0.

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