Pakistan was reeling at lunch on the first day of their four-day match against Western Australia in Perth on Thursday after local pace-bowlers Brett Dorey and Ben Edmondson ripped through the top order to have the tourists at 120 for five.
Fielding what could have been a Test line-up, Pakistan’s brittle batting was badly exposed on the lively Western Australian Cricket Association Ground wicket, which will also host the first Test starting next Thursday.
Dorey finished the session with 3-14 from eight overs, while Edmondson took 2-32 from six.
Opener Salman Butt — who top-scored with a century in a one-day tour match earlier in the week — and Yousuf Youhana were the only batsmen to offer serious resistance in perfect conditions.
Salman notched 42 off 61 balls, including seven boundaries, while Yousuf was not out on 42 at lunch.
Abdul Razzaq was the other not-out batsman on 12.
The tourists lost opener Imran Farhat early after he was ruled lbw when he misread the line of a Dorey delivery in the sixth over.
The little lefthander, who is competing with Yasir Hameed for an opening berth in the first Test against Australia, made just eight runs off 15 balls.
Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was the next to fall after just one scoring shot — a four — from five deliveries.
Inzamam dragged a Dorey ball on to his stumps, leaving Pakistan at 3-55.
Incoming batsman Yousuf Youhana helped steady the ship for Pakistan along with Salman, with the pair taking the score to 78 before the latter was caught by Michael Hussey at second slip off the bowling of Edmondson.
Shoaib Malik arrived at the crease and departed just two minutes later with a golden duck to his name, the tourists in strife at 5-78 and Edmondson on a potential hat-trick, which Razzaq averted.
Pakistan had started the match with what appeared to be their strongest line-up, including fast-bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami.
Offspinner Malik also took his place in the side after passing a late fitness test on his right wrist, which he injured while playing table soccer earlier in the week.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer had said he expected his top-order batsmen to score more than 50 runs each during the match, Pakistan’s final hit-out before taking on Australia. — Sapa-AFP