28 December 2004	Tuesday	15 Ziqa'ad 1425

MELBOURNE, Dec 27: Pakistan pace man Shoaib Akhtar kept Australia on the back foot with a fiery performance as the home side battled to reach 203 for five by the close of the second day of the second Ttest on Monday.

Shoaib took three for 56 and leg spinner Danish Kaneria two for 70 as Pakistan, who suffered a crushing 491-run loss in the first Test, maintained control after dominating Sunday's opening day of play.

Damien Martyn was unbeaten on 67 and held the key to Australia's fortunes with wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist, who was 26 not out. Pakistan, who had started the day on 318 for six, were dismissed for 341 in their first innings on the stroke of lunch.

However Shoaib then removed Australia opener Matthew Hayden, for nine, and captain Ricky Ponting, for seven, to put the hosts under early pressure at 32 for two in the ninth over.

Opener Justin Langer, who scored 50, did well to survive as Shoaib's aggression peaked in his eighth over shortly before tea. Langer ducked one short ball before being struck on the hand by the next delivery.

The pair exchanged words several times during the over as the umpires and Pakistan captain Yousuf Youhana tried to calm the situation after Shoaib had spat in Langer's general direction.

"A bloke's bowling 150kph, trying to rip the fingers off your arms, or probably even worse," Langer told a news conference. "As I said to Rudi (umpire Rudi Koertzen), there's nothing malicious about it," he said of his verbal spat with Shoaib.

"It's just like two warriors going at each other. "It gets your blood going, the adrenaline is pumping, you're in a fight. To me, that's what Test cricket is all about." Langer, who has a bruised hand, added that Koertzen had told him to calm down.

"It was just a bit of gamesmanship," he said. "For me, it's one of the great battles in Test cricket, playing against Shoaib Akhtar. "He bowled very quick today. I've always said he's the fastest bowler I've ever faced."

Shoaib claimed his third wicket when he had Darren Lehmann caught at short leg for 11, and then took a simple catch at long-off as Kaneria removed Michael Clarke for 20, Australia slipping to 171 for five.

Australia had been quick to pounce in the morning session when Kamran Akmal was caught behind for 24 off the bowling of Glenn McGrath in the third over. Pakistan then lost their last three wickets without further addition in 14 balls as a total of 23 runs were added in the 17.3 overs before lunch.

Kaneria was run out for a duck, leaving Abdul Razzaq unbeaten on four from 76 balls. Eearlier on Sunday Pakistan put on a courageous display of batting on the first day of the second Test, scoring 318 for six at the close as acting captain Yousuf Youhana led by example with a century.

Rebounding from their crushing 491-run loss in the first test, Pakistan's top order batsmen showed greater resolve and were more comfortable on the lower, slower Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch than last week's bouncy conditions in Perth.

Leading his country for only the second time in his 55-Test career, Youhana scored his 12th century off 117 balls, finishing on 111 when he was stumped down the leg side off the bowling of Shane Warne at 286 for four.

Youhana batted for three and one-quarter hours, hitting 11 fours and four sixes from 134 balls for his first century against Australia. The 30-year-old right-hander dominated a 192-run stand with Younis Khan (87) after Pakistan had lost three wickets for nine runs to be struggling at 94 for three shortly after lunch.

The partnership was a record fourth-wicket stand for Pakistan against Australia, beating the 177 by Saeed Anwar and Youhana in Brisbane five years ago. Young opener Salman Butt, 20, scored his maiden half-century in his third test, hitting 70 from 99 balls. Pace man Jason Gillespie (3-72) took two wickets in successive overs late in the day's play.

SCOREBOARD



Pakistan (1st innings) (318 for six overnight) 



Salman Butt run out                     70 



Imran Farhat c Ponting b Kasprowicz     20 



Yasir Hameed lbw b Gillespie            2 



Younis Khan c Gilchrist b Gillespie     87 



Yousuf Youhana st 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 st Gilchrist b Warne      0 



Danish Kaneria run out                  0 



Extras (lb-4, w-1)                      5 



Total (all out, 107.3 overs)            341



Fall of wkts: 1-85 2-93 3-94 4-286 5-298 6-301 7-326 8-341 9-341



Bowling: McGrath 28-12-54-1 (w-1), 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.



Australia (1st innings)



J.Langer c I. Farhat b Danish Kaneria   50 



M.Hayden c S. Malik b Shoaib Akhtar     9



R.Ponting c S. Malik b Shoaib Akhtar    7



D.Martyn not out                        67 



D.Lehmann c Y. Hameed b Shoaib Akhtar   11 



M.Clarke c S. Akhtar b Danish Kaneria   20 



A.Gilchrist not out                     26 



Extras (nb-13)                          13 



Total (for five wkts, 54 overs)         203



Fall of wkts: 1-13 2-32 3-122 4-135 5-171



To bat: S.Warne, J.Gillespie, M.Kasprowicz, G.McGrath.



Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 13-0-56-3 (nb-8), Mohammad Sami 13-2-50-0 (nb-3), 
Abdul Razzaq 7-0-27-0 (nb-2), Danish Kaneria 21-2-70-2. -Reuters