Skipper Ricky Ponting produced his first Test century for more than a year to propel Australia into a powerful position against Pakistan in the third and final cricket Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday.
The 30-year-old right-hander erased the memory of an unproductive past 12 months to compile his 21st century — his first since his 257 against India in the 2003 Boxing Day Test and his first as Australian captain — against a threadbare bowling attack on an easy batting strip.
Ponting, anxious to begin the new year on an upswing after scoring 697 runs in 2004 at 41 at the lower rung of Australia’s top six batsmen, blazed an unbeaten 155 in 325 minutes with 23 boundaries.
At the close of the second day, Australia were 340 for four with Adam Gilchrist on 17 to lead Pakistan by 36 runs with six wickets in hand, with three days’ play remaining in Australia’s final domestic Test of the summer and a third straight win over the injury-hit tourists in the offing.
”It was nice to spend a lot of time at the crease, and walking off the ground today my feet are a bit [more] sore than they have been for a long time … that’s obviously a good sign and it’s a good way to start 2005,” Ponting said.
”I’ve been a little worried about not scoring one [century] for the whole of last year, which was disappointing. I made a couple of 90s and a few 50s but didn’t get that century.”
Ponting said he will be looking for the team to get another 100 runs on Tuesday to help Australia having to bat in the fourth innings.
”The wicket is going to be extremely hard to bat on last. We’ve had a very good day today and we have to capitalise on that tomorrow and get as many [runs] as we can, and that would make it hard for Pakistan to get back into the game.”
Australia are playing in a dead rubber Test after clinching the series with a massive 491-run win in the first Perth Test and a nine-wicket triumph in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test.
Ponting put on 174 runs for the third wicket with Damien Martyn, who missed emulating a Don Bradman scoring feat.
Martyn, coming off a stellar past year of six centuries and 1 353 runs at 56,37, was shooting for his third 100 in consecutive Test innings after scores of 100 not out in Perth and 142 in Melbourne.
But he was stumped for 67 off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, preventing him from becoming the first Australian batsman since Bradman in 1948 to score three consecutive centuries.
Michael Clarke, playing in his first home-ground Test, appeared set before he threw away his wicket when he was also stumped off Kaneria for 35 off 50 balls.
Pakistan had to do without their ”Rawalpindi Express”, Shoaib Akhtar, who was off the field for 75 minutes during the middle session with what appeared to be a strained right hamstring.
He returned to the attack with 13 overs left in the day and Australia at 288 for three and poised to overtake Pakistan’s innings total.
In his absence, Kaneria shouldered the inexperienced Pakistan bowling attack with Test debutant Mohammad Asif; Rana Naved-ul-Hassan, playing just his second Test match; and one-day specialist Shahid Afridi.
Kaneria finished the day with 3-106 off 30 overs.
Australia lost both openers before lunch after the Pakistanis had added 12 runs to their overnight total of 292 for nine to be all out after 4,4 overs of the morning session with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal last man out for 47.
Justin Langer was bowled by a beautiful inswinger from Rana for 13 in the fourth over of the Australian innings.
Rana got his third delivery to nip back sharply and rattle Langer’s middle and off-stumps with the first wicket falling at 26.
Matthew Hayden had a life on 26 when Asif dropped a sharp caught and bowled chance but went soon after without addition to a horrible swipe at Kaneria with Australia on 83 for two.
Kamran was Pakistan’s last wicket to fall caught at first slip by Shane Warne off Glenn McGrath in the morning.
Kamran hit eight fours off 68 balls in his 83-minute stay while tail-ender Asif remained not out 0 off 24 balls.
McGrath finished the innings with 4-50 off 16.4 overs while recalled leg-spinner Stuart MacGill had the best return of 5-87 off 22 overs. — Sapa-AFP