Sydney, Jan 6(ANI): Australia has completed a remarkable Test victory over Pakistan, coming from 206 runs behind in the first innings to win the second Test at SCG by 36 runs.
Needing 176 for its first victory in Australia in 14 years, Pakistan was bundled out for 139 runs.
Australia’s bowling hero was off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who claimed 5-53 following on from his first five-wicket haul in the Boxing Day Test, The Australian reports.
Pakistan''s chase for victory did began brightly, with openers Imran Farhat and Salman Butt putting on 34-runs off 42 balls for the first wicket.
They even took Peter Siddle for 15 off one over, with Farhat belting consecutive fours through extra cover, but Doug Bollinger made the initial breakthrough in the very next over, taking Farhat’s wicket.
Johnson was introduced in the 11th over and struck twice, dismissing Faisal Iqbal (7) and Butt (21) caught behind.
Pakistan was nervously placed on 3-77 at tea when Hauritz turned the match in the second over after the break with a dramatic caught and bowled to dismiss captain Mohammad Yousuf.
He then dismissed Misbah-ul-Haq for a duck two balls later to put the Aussies in the box seat.
Pakistan’s last realistic chance of a victory disappeared when young gun Umar Akmal skied a catch to mid-off on 49 and became the eighth wicket to fall.
Earlier in the day, Australia were bowled out for 381 after lunch, with middle-order batsman Mike Hussey making a typically gritty unbeaten 134 and shared a record-breaking ninth-wicket partnership of 123 runs with Peter Siddle.
Hussey struck 16 boundaries in his six-and-a-half-hour innings, reaching his 11th Test century off 196 balls, while Siddle fell for 38 runs, his highest Test score.
The win clinched a 2-0 series victory for Australia with the third and final Test beginning in Hobart next week.
Scorecard:
Australia 127 & 381
Pakistan 333 & 139
Australia: second innings
SR Watson c Faisal Iqbal b Umar Gul 97
PJ Hughes c & b Danish Kaneria 37
RT Ponting c Faisal Iqbal b Umar Gul 11
MEK Hussey not out 134
MJ Clarke lbw b Mohammad Asif 21
MJ North c Faisal Iqbal b Danish Kaneria 2
BJ Haddin lbw b Danish Kaneria 15
MG Johnson b Danish Kaneria 3
NM Hauritz c Misbah-ul-Haq b Umar Gul 4
PM Siddle c Misbah-ul-Haq b Mohammad Asif 38
DE Bollinger b Danish Kaneria 0
Total (all out; 125.4 overs) 381
Pakistan: second innings (target: 176 runs)
Imran Farhat c Johnson b Bollinger 22
Salman Butt c Haddin b Johnson 21
Faisal Iqbal c Haddin b Johnson 7
Mohammad Yousuf c & b Hauritz 19
Umar Akmal c Johnson b Bollinger 49
Misbah-ul-Haq c Hussey b Hauritz 0
Kamran Akmal c Haddin b Johnson 11
Mohammad Sami c Haddin b Hauritz 2
Umar Gul c Siddle b Hauritz 6
Danish Kaneria c Watson b Hauritz 0
Mohammad Asif not out 0
Total (all out; 38 overs) 139 (ANI)