Ponting leading obdurate Australia fightback

Pakistan were 148-3 in reply to the world champions' 88 and on course for a thumping victory.

Coming from anyone other than the Australia coach, such a remark might have been deemed arrogant or even absurd.

But as proved by his team's gritty fightback yesterday, it was merely a statement of fact as Australia transformed a hopeless position into one affording grounds for optimism.

At stumps on day two, Australia were 136-2 in their second innings, a deficit of 34.

Although there is work to be done if they are to turn the tables to an extent they claim an eighth consecutive Test win, and a 14th in succession against Pakistan, it was testimony to their never-say-die spirit that such an outcome cannot be discounted.

Not for the first time in a career that has attracted superlatives as surely as a flame attracts moths, Ricky Ponting played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 61 at a venue where he has only once failed to reach a half-century in six Test innings – and that during the first innings of this match.

Ponting's efforts in tandem with vice-captain Michael Clarke, who has contributed 32 to their third-wicket partnership of 81, followed a career-best 6-33 from Shane Watson that restricted Pakistan to 258 beneath overcast skies.

You do not have to delve far into history to find a precedent for the type of unlikely triumph Australia are threatening to mastermind in Leeds.

At Sydney in January, Australia conceded an even greater first innings deficit against Pakistan – 206 compared with 170 this time – before recovering to win by 36 runs.

The spectre of that embarrassment is looming large over a Pakistan team whose top-order has a decidedly fragile look beyond opening batsman and new captain Salman Butt.

If Australia can get any sort of handy three-figure advantage they will fancy their chances of completing a 2-0 whitewash against opponents who started the day sitting pretty atop the mountain but who ended it looking like Harold Lloyd dangling off the clock face.

Before a dismal crowd of around 3,000 (Yorkshire would expect more for certain Clydesdale Bank 40 games, not to mention several County Championship fixtures), Pakistan began the day with high hopes of batting their opponents out of contention.

There was no evidence of the movement that had assisted their destruction of the Australian line-up the previous day, while Ponting's bowlers had hitherto failed to flourish.

But from the moment Umar Akmal fell after 20 minutes' play, caught behind feeling for a ball from Mitchell Johnson, the balance of power shifted first of all subtly and then spectacularly.

Pakistan slipped to 195-5 when Umar Amin ducked a bouncer from Ben Hilfenhaus but forgot to remove his bat from harm's way, pushing up the blade like a periscope to enable the ball to cannon into the hands of square-leg.

After lunching on 218-5, Pakistan disintegrated in the afternoon as Watson ran amok.

Kamran Akmal edged to first slip, Mohammad Aamer went lbw to the all-rounder's next ball and Watson had his fifth wicket when Umar Gul was bowled off an inside-edge.

A sixth victim soon followed when Shoaib Malik aimed an off-drive over the adjacent rugby field but succeeded only in skying the ball straight up in the air, wicketkeeper Tim Paine doing the rest.

The innings concluded with an Abbott and Costello-style run-out that provided a fitting denouement.

Mohammad Asif spooned Hilfenhaus towards mid-off and his partner, Danish Kaneria, set off for a quick single.

Asif sent him back and Kaneria was narrowly beaten by a throw to the non-striker's end, the pair then stealing a single that never was as the umpire called for a television replay.

Simon Katich's poor game continued when he was bowled round his legs by Aamer in the fifth over of Australia's reply, Ponting then surviving a confident lbw shout from his first delivery for the second time in the game.

Watson departed with the total on 55 when Amin sneaked one through his defences but Ponting and Clarke took advantage of some unremarkable bowling – not to mention some soft captaincy from Butt, who allowed too many easy singles against batsmen who needed no invitation to capitalise.

When Ponting reached 40, he became only the second batsman to score 12,000 Test runs.

Only Sachin Tendulkar stands above him.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Shane Watson

The all-rounder claimed a career-best 6-33 from 11 overs to get Australia back in the game.

Pakistan v Australia

Headingley Carnegie: Australia trail by 34 with 8 second inns wkts standing.

Overnight: Australia 88, Pakistan 148-3.

Pakistan First Innings cont

Amin c North b Hilfenhaus 25

Akmal c Paine b Johnson 21

Shoaib Malik c Paine b Watson 26

Kamran Akmal c North b Watson 15

Aamer lbw b Watson 0

Umar Gul b Watson 0

Danish Kaneria run out 15

Mohammad Asif not out 9

Extras b11 lb9 nb9 29

Total (64.5 overs) 258

Fall: 1-80 2-3 3-140 4-171 5-195 6-222 7-222 8-224 9-234.

Bowling: Bollinger 17 4 50 0, Hilfenhaus 20.5 3 77 2, Watson 11 3 33 6, Johnson 15 0 71 1, Smith 1 0 7 0.

Australia Second Innings

S R Watson b Amin 24

S M Katich b Aamer 11

R T Ponting not out 61

M J Clarke not out 32

Extras b4 w2 nb2 8

Total 2 wkts (41 overs) 136

Fall: 1-15 2-55.

Bowling: Aamer 9 2 19 1, Mohammad Asif 1 42 0, Umar Gul 5 0 36 0, Amin 6 1 12 1, Danish Kaneria 8 0 23 0.