Youhana leads from the front, showy Shoaib puts Aussies under pressure

The 'Rawalpindi Express' steamed through the Australian top-order to give Pakistan an unexpected edge over cricket's world-beaters in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. A week after they surrendered for 72 and handed Australia a monumental 491-run victory in the first Perth Test, the Pakistanis bounced back emphatically to have Ricky Ponting's team under pressure after two days' play.
Shoaib Akhtar claimed the wickets of Matthew Hayden (9), Ponting (7) and Darren Lehmann (11) along with an outfield catch to send Michael Clarke on his way for 20 to have the Australians in bother at 171 for five.
But Pakistan's efforts to gain a sizeable innings lead were being thwarted by Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist, who put on an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 32 runs before bad light ended play.
At stumps, Australia were 203 for five, trailing Pakistan's 341 by 138 runs with Martyn on 67 and Gilchrist 26.
Cricket's fastest bowler, with a point to prove after just six wickets at an average 67.66 runs in the last tour here in 1999, earlier worked up a head of steam off his long run to have the Australian batsmen on the back foot.
Only Martyn and Justin Langer prospered against the pace assault, Martyn backing up his unbeaten Perth 100 with a determined 126-ball innings, while Langer continued his prolific scoring Australian summer with a half-century.
Shoaib, forever the showman, spiced up the rain-plagued day with a confrontation with Langer before tea.
Shoaib launched a fiery eighth over at the little Australian left-hander just before one of several rain interruptions, with Langer taking exception when Shoaib appeared to spit in his direction.
The Pakistani spearhead then hurled down two bouncers and the pair exchanged words and fierce looks as Shoaib advanced down the pitch to within a few metres of Langer, who was man-of-the-match with scores of 191 and 97 in the Perth Test.
Langer was out two balls after reaching 50 when he top-edged a sweep at leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and skied a catch to Imran Farhat at backward square leg.
Shoaib continued to have the better of Matthew Hayden, claiming him for the third time in the series when the big left-handed opener sliced a cut straight to Shoaib Malik at backward point.
Ricky Ponting followed four overs later when he pulled Shoaib to the waiting Malik at deep backward square leg.
Darren Lehmann made another unconvincing effort with 11 before he spooned a catch to Yasir Hameed at short leg off a Shoaib lifter.
Michael Clarke had a few flutters before he holed out to Shoaib at long on off Kaneria for 20, making way for the entry of Gilchrist.
Pakistan dawdled to their first innings total of 341 shortly before lunch after resuming at 318 for six. The tourists added just 23 runs off 17.3 overs in the morning session.
Test cricket's leading wicket-taker Shane Warne took two of the four wickets to fall to increase his Test tally to 558. He finished on 3-103 off 28.3 overs.
Abdul Razzaq highlighted Pakistan's snail-paced scoring rate, finishing four not out off 76 balls after he was marooned on one for 40 minutes and 32 balls.
ON SUNDAY: Stand-in skipper Yousuf Youhana worked over Australia's bowling to put the boot on the other foot for Pakistan in a dramatic swing in fortunes in the Boxing Day cricket Test.
Youhana, who took over from sidelined captain Inzamamul Haq, revelled in his new responsibility to hammer a spirited century, his 12th overall and first against the Australians, who humiliated Pakistan by 491 runs in the first Perth Test a week ago.
Inzamam did not recover in time from a stiff back but the beleaguered tourists found an inspirational replacement leader with 30-year-old Youhana taking to master leg-spinner Shane Warne, hoisting him for three of his four sixes.
SCOREBOARD:

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PAKISTAN (1st innings -318 for 6 overnight):

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Imran Farhat c Ponting b Kasprowicz         20

Salman Butt run out (Clarke)                70

Yasir Hameed lbw b Gillespie                 2

Younis Khan c Gilchrist b Gillespie         87

Yousuf Youhana stp Gilchrist b Warne       111

Shoaib Malik c Ponting b Gillespie           6

Abdul Razzaq not out         4

Kamran Akmal c Gilchrist b McGrath          24

Mohammad Sami lbw b Warne                   12

Shoaib Akhtar stp Gilchrist b Warne          0

Danish Kaneira run out (Clarke)              0

EXTRAS: (LB-4, W-1)                          5

TOTAL: (all out)                           341

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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-85, 2-93, 3-94, 4-286, 5-298, 6-301, 7-326, 8-341, 9-341.
BOWLING: McGrath 28-12-54-1 (1w), Gillespie 26-7-77-3, Kasprowicz 20-6-66-1, Warne 28.3-2-103-3, Clarke 3-0-24-0, Lehmann 2-0-13-0
OVERS: 107.3

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AUSTRALIA (1st innings):

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J.Langer c Farhat b Kaneria                 50

M.Hayden c Malik b Shoaib                    9

R.Ponting c Malik b Shoaib                   7

D.Martyn not out                            67

D.Lehmann c Yasir b Shoaib                  11

M.Clarke c Shoaib b Kaneria                 20

A.Gilchrist not out                         26

EXTRAS: (NB-13)                             13

TOTAL: ( for five wickets)                 203

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