05 January,2010 01:19 PM IST | | A Correspondent
Pakistan closed in on a famous Test win on Tuesday, reducing Australia to 286 for eight in their second essay at Sydney Cricket Ground.
At stumps on Day Three, Australia were leading by 80 runs, far from where they would have liked themselves to be placed after Shane Watson (97) and Phil Hughes (37) gave them a 105-run opening stand.
Australia's only hope of setting Pakistan a defendable target rest on Michael Hussey (76 on out) who was accompanied by Peter Siddle (10 not out) at close of play.
While Umar Gul (3-62) put the kangaroos on the backfoot after lunch by dismissing Ponting (11) and Watson, who yet again missed a century by a whisker, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria (4-117) struck thrice in the last session.
Despite losing both the openers and Ponting in the second session, Australia were 199 for three at tea, with Hussey and Michael Clarke (21) at the crease. But Mohammad Asif, the first innings star, trapped Clarke in front of the wickets in the sixth over after tea and that opened the floodgates.u00a0
Kaneria then dismissed Marcus North (2), Brad Haddin (15) and Mitchell Johnson (3) to wrest the advantage back to Pakistan. Gul rounded off the collapse with Nathan Hauritz's (4) wicket to put Pakistan at 257 for eight from a comfortable 217 for three at one stage.
In fact, Pakistan could well have finished the game on the third itself had glovesman Kamran Akmal not dropped Hussey twice, the last one when the southpaw was batting on 50.
Earlier in the morning, it took Australia just five balls to take the last Pakistan wicket. Pakistan could add just two runs to their overnight total of 331 for nine before Kaneria (4) holed out to Hussey off Doug Bollinger (4-72).
