PAK ON TOP POSITION
Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, survived a couple of lbw appeals while padding up to be 18 not out and Michael Clarke was unbeaten on two.
Opener Shane Watson, whose six wickets for 33 runs earlier in the day saw the medium-pacer to a Test-best bowling return for the second time in as many matches, helped Ponting add 40 for the second wicket.
But Watson, on 24, fell to an even more unheralded bowler than himself when, trying to cut Amin, who’d dismissed Marcus North in the first innings, he played on to leave Australia 55 for two.
Amin, at tea, had figures of one for six in four overs.
Australia had been shot out for just 88, after once more struggling against the swinging ball in overcast English conditions, on Wednesday.
It was their lowest Test total since the West Indies dismissed them for 76 Perth in 1984.
Australia’s second innings at Headingley also began under grey skies.
And when opener Simon Katich was bowled round his legs, after shuffling across the crease in trademark fashion, by left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, Australia were 15 for one.
And the 18-year-old Aamer, who took one wicket for 10 runs in five overs before tea, might have had Ponting lbw for nought when the star batsman padded up and played no stroke to an inswinger.
But Rudi Koertzen, in the South African’s last Test as an umpire, ruled in Ponting’s favour.
Watson, who took two wickets Wednesday, produced a post-lunch burst of four wickets for seven runs in 13 balls as Pakistan were bowled out for 258.
That still left Pakistan with a healthy first innings lead
But Australia have won their last 13 Tests against Pakistan and in January triumphed by 36 runs at Sydney despite a first innings deficit of 206.
Medium-pacer Watson, who’d already taken took two wickets on Wednesday, ripped through Pakistan’s middle and lower order with a post-lunch burst of four wickets for seven runs in 13 balls.
The all-rounder’s haul saw Watson surpass his previous best of five for 40 achieved in Australia’s 150-run series-opening win at Lord’s last week.
Pakistan 218 for five at lunch, were 222 for seven in the space of two Watson balls.
Kamran Akmal (15) was well caught low down at first slip by Marcus North and next ball Aamer was given out lbw, playing no stroke.
Soon afterwards, a Watson straight ball bowled tailender Umar Gul for nought before he dimissed Shoaib Malik, skying a catch to wicketkeeper Tim Paine after making 26 on his return to the side after former captain Shahid Afridi’s post-Lord’s resignation.
Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Asif added 24 at a run-a-ball for the last wicket before Kaneria was run out in farcical fashion after Pakistan had started a rain delayed second day on 148 for three.
SCORES IN BRIEF
AUSTRALIA: First innings 88 all out (Watson 5, Katich 13, Ponting 6, North 16, Paine 17, Smith 10; Aamer 3-20, Asif 3-30, Gul 2-16)
PAKISTAN: First innings 258 (Farhat 43, Butt 45, Azhar 30, Amin 25, Akmal 21, Malik 26; Hilfenhaus 2-77, Watson 6-33)
AUSTRALIA: Second innings 62 for 2 at tea (Watson 24, Katich 11, Ponting 18 not out)
