SHARJAH (UAE), Oct 20: A chanceless century by Australian skipper Steve Waugh ensured his side were well and truly in the driving seat of the third Test at close of second day’s play at Sharjah Cricket Stadium after another Pakistan’s batting collapse Sunday.

What now remains to be seen is whether the match finishes inside three days or Pakistan’s laden-footed batsmen extend the proceedings into fourth day by putting up better show in the second innings.

While Australia had Pakistan on the run for the second successive Test, the day belonged to Steve Waugh who silenced his detractors with an unbeaten 103 — his 28th century — as the visitors from carried their overnight total of 298 for three to 444 all out and then reduced Pakistan to 163 for six at stumps.

Waqar Younis’ men still need 82 runs to avoid the humiliation of being forced to follow on.

And it was perfect riposte and a pie on the face of Pakistan coach Richard Pybus from Steve Waugh who was quoted by the press that it was time for the Waugh brothers to quit due to poor form and the Aussies were on the decline.

With his uncomplicated style and not an elegant sight to watch but very effective as a batsman over the years Steve Waugh, unruffled by the early loss of Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn off successive balls to Waqar, went on to complete his hundred with the second consecutive six over long-on off Danish Kaneria.

Kaneria’s two first deliveries of that eventful over were swept behind square-leg for boundaries and the last two balls were hoisted high, wide and handsome for a brace of sixes as Waugh was had only last man Glenn McGrath at the other end.

The 37-year-old Australian captain, playing in his 151st Test, faced 191 balls and slammed 13 fours and two sixes during his memorable innings that enabled him surpassed compatriot Allan Border’s tally of 27 centuries in 156 Tests.

Pakistan’s bowling attack, apart from Waqar, lacked penetration but surprisingly the skipper himself bowled only 17.3 overs for his four wickets.

Spin duo of Saqlain Mushtaq and Kaneria did bulk of the bowling sending down 45 and 36 overs respectively on an unresponsive track.

Earlier, Waqar even left the field and returned late in the innings to remove McGrath. May be he has still not fully recovered from back trouble.

When Pakistan batted poor choice of strokes it brought the downfall of their batsmen. As usual, McGrath, needing four wickets to join the elite group of bowlers who have taken 400 Test victims, dismissed Taufiq Umar (5) and Younis Khan (5).

Taufiq was rooted at the crease while Younis chased a wide delivery to be caught at the wicket.

However, an entertaining seventh-wicket stand between Hasan Raza, inducted into the Test side after a lapse of four years, and Saqlain gave the beleaguered Pakistanis a glimmer of hope of at least posting a respectable total.

Hasan (37) and Saqlain (37) came together after wicket-keeper Rashid Latif was held at slip by Mark Waugh to leave Pakistan in dire straits at 100 for six.

The pair has so far added 63 welcome runs as Steve Waugh introduced part-timers Mark Waugh and Ponting in an effort to save his main bowlers from the oppressive heat.

Earlier, Imran Farhat, playing his first match in the series, executed several delightful strokes including two boundaries off Shane Warne but the master spinner had the last laugh by getting the left-handed opener leg-before-wicket with a straight delivery.

Warne also disposed of Faisal Iqbal (9) and Rashid (17) to take his haul to 22 wickets in the rubber.

In between, paceman Andy Bichel claimed the scalp of Misbah-ul-Haq, who once again showed his inability to come to terms at Test level. It seems he is better suited for the shorter version of the game.

As the match stands at the end of second day despite the late flourish by Hasan and Saqlain, Australia are on course to make it 3-0 whitewash unless Pakistani batsmen turn the form book upside down and put on a huge second innings total which seems remote.

But then nothing can be taken for granted in cricket till the last ball is bowled.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 298-3):

J.L. Langer b Waqar 4

M.L. Hayden c Faisal b Saqlain 89

R.T. Ponting b Waqar 150

M.E. Waugh c Rashid b Saqlain 23

S.R. Waugh not out 103

D.R. Martyn lbw b Waqar 0

A.C. Gilchrist c Rashid b Kaneria 34

S.K. Warne lbw b Kaneria 11

B. Lee run out 1

A.J. Bichel c Taufiq b Kaneria 9

G.D. McGrath c Rashid b Waqar 3

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-10, NB-3) 17

TOTAL (all out, 128.3 overs) 444

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-188, 3-233, 4-308, 5-308, 6-363, 7-403, 8-404, 9-418.

BOWLING: Waqar Younis 17.3-5-55-4; Mohammad Sami 28-6-81-0 (2nb); Saqlain Mushtaq 45-5-159-2 (1nb); Danish Kaneria 36-8-128-3; Taufiq Umar 2-0-7-0.

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Taufiq Umar lbw b McGrath 5

Imran Farhat lbw b Warne 29

Younis Khan c Gilchrist b McGrath 5

Faisal Iqbal c Gilchrist b Warne 9

Misbah-ul Haq lbw b Bichel 11

Hasan Raza not out 37

Rashid Latif c M. Waugh b Warne 17

Saqlain Mushtaq not out 27

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-10, W-2, NB-8) 23

TOTAL (for six wkts, 44 overs) 163

FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-50, 3-50, 4-70, 5-76, 6-100.

TO BAT: Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria.

BOWLING (to-date): McGrath 9-2-29-2; Lee 9-1-36-0 (5nb, 1w); Warne 17-3-57-3 (1w); Bichel 4-0-13-1 (3nb); M.E. Waugh 4-0-10-0; Ponting 1-0-5-0.