Since Pakistan's capitulation in Sydney, it seemed inevitable that they would struggle to lift themselves for the dead rubber at Bellerive Oval. At the start of the fourth day, the most likely scenario was for Australia to add quickly to their overnight score and bat until after lunch, and Pakistan's batsmen to struggle and rain to play a part as the afternoon wore on. And so it unfolded.
Pakistan entered this Test with only two men averaging more than 40 for the series and until Salman Butt's first-innings century the best score by any of their players was his 71 at the SCG.
A win for Australia would be their 12th consecutive triumph against Pakistan, equalling the record for any team over any other Test side, which is currently held by Sri Lanka over Bangladesh. It came closer when Pakistan lost both openers within the first ten overs, then the captain and best batsman Mohammad Yousuf with the score on 61, and the young star Umar Akmal with the total at 4 for 83.
When the rain came an hour before the scheduled close, Pakistan were 4 for 103, needing an extremely unlikely 335 more for victory, with Khurram Manzoor on 23 and Shoaib Malik on 18. Yousuf and Akmal both fell lbw to Shane Watson, both had their decisions reviewed, and neither finished with the result he desired. Earlier, Butt failed to keep out a Doug Bollinger delivery and was bowled for 9, before Peter Siddle drew an edge behind from Imran Farhat (14) to begin Pakistan's slump.
The day had been yet another ugly one for them even before their innings began. Ponting and Katich added 141 in a brutal opening session as Pakistan continued to set defensive fields and waited for a declaration. Katich has had trouble reaching triple-figures this season and had posted scores of 92, 80, 99 and 98.
He hadn't scored a hundred since the Ashes opener in Cardiff and when he moved to 99, Pakistan tried to increase the pressure, but he found an easy single behind square on the leg side to register his century from 137 deliveries. In the next over, Katich holed out to deep midwicket off Danish Kaneria and departed for an even 100, his ninth Test century.
Playing with the freedom of having a hefty buffer, Katich took a more aggressive approach than normal and struck 13 fours in his 138 balls. Ponting also went after the bowling during their 191-run stand and was happy to be inventive, driving in the air over fielders and taking balls from outside off to the leg side.
Ponting failed to become the seventh batsman in Test history to score a double-century and a century in the same match when he departed for 89 on the fourth ball after lunch. He tried to sweep Malik and was taken down the legside by Sarfraz Ahmed, and the umpire's not-out decision was overturned on review when Hot Spot showed the ball brushed Ponting's glove.
It didn't matter. Ponting already felt he had enough and declared at 5 for 219, setting Pakistan 438 to win. Yousuf's men need either a deluge of rain or runs to save them and only their most ardent fans could expect it to be the latter.
SCOREBOARD:
-- Australia 1st innings 519 (declared)
-- Pakistan 1st innings: (all out, 301)
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Australia 2nd innings:
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S Watson c M Yousuf b M Aamer 1
S Katich c S Malik b D Kaneria 100
R Ponting c S Ahmed b S Malik 89
M Hussey not out 13
B Haddin run out (M Aamer) 8
M Johnson c I Farhat b S Malik 0
Extras: (b 4, lb 4) 8
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Total: (5 wickets dec; 48.4 overs) 219
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Did not bat: MJ Clarke, MJ North, NM Hauritz, PM Siddle, DE Bollinger
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Watson), 2-192 (Katich), 3-202 (Ponting), 4-213 (Haddin), 5-219 (Johnson)
Bowling: Mohammad Asif-9-0-48-0, Mohammad Aamer-12-2-46-1, Umar Gul-10-0-45-0, Danish Kaneria-14-2-56-1, Shoaib Malik-3.4-0-16-2
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Pakistan 2nd innings (target: 438 runs)
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Imran Farhat c Haddin b Siddle 14
Salman Butt b Bollinger 8
Khurram Manzoor not out 23
Mohammad Yousuf lbw b Watson 23
Umar Akmal lbw b Watson 15
Shoaib Malik not out 18
Extras: (b 2) 2
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Total: (4 wickets; 34.2 overs) 103
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To bat: Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad AsifFall of wickets: 1-11 (Salman Butt), 2-29 (Imran Farhat), 3-61 (Mohammad Yousuf), 4-83 (Umar Akmal)
Bowling: D Bollinger-10-3-25-1, P Siddle-6.2-2-17-1, M Johnson-7-1-32-0, S Watson-9-1-24-2, N Hauritz-2-1-3-0.