Pakistan move into powerful position

Half-centuries to openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat have Pakistan well positioned to establish an imposing first-innings lead over the Australians. After an attritional second session on Monday, the tourists' supreme application at the crease was rewarded with a total of 2 for 190 and a 63-run advantage over Australia's meagre first-day tally.

The hosts would do well to analyse the manner in which Farhat and Butt set about their respective innings on the second day. The Australian top-order, minus Shane Watson, fell to forceful strokes on a seaming wicket in their ill-fated first innings; a direct contrast to the cautious and patient approach of the Pakistani openers. Content to accumulate rather than dominate, Farhat and Butt shelved their cross-bat strokes and successfully repelled threatening spells from Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson to post their third career century stand and first against Australia.

Farhat and Butt have emerged as a dependable solution to Pakistan's problematic opening slot. Their stand of 109, which took their first-wicket partnership average to a robust 47.43, built upon the foundation laid by Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami the preceding day to deliver the tourists to a position of dominance in the match. The union was not without its anxious moments, most notably when Farhat was dropped by Marcus North to a regulation slips chance off the bowling of Siddle on 11, but both stood firm on an improving pitch.

The Australians had several other chances to remove Farhat before the lunch break, though less orthodox than North's second dropped catch of the series. In a rare moment of overt aggression, Farhat attempted to charge a Watson delivery that beat the oustide edge. The batsman made no immediate effort to return to his crease, and a direct hit from Brad Haddin would have sent him back to the pavilion. Hawk-Eye later showed that a half-hearted Nathan Hauritz lbw appeal would also have resulted in Farhat's dismissal, however the Australians declined to challenge the original not-out verdict from the on-field official.

Farhat went on to raise his 13th half-century before skying an attempted sweep off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz shortly after the lunch break. Butt also fell in the second session, edging a full-length delivery from a deserving Johnson, however Faisal Iqbal and Mohammad Yousuf ensured there were no further setbacks with an unbroken 46-run third-wicket partnership heading into tea. Yousuf looked to increase the tempo of Pakistan's steady-paced innings by adding 27 in almost even time, including five boundaries, while Iqbal continued the grinding approach of Pakistan's openers to frustrate the Australian bowlers.

The hosts were guilty on occasion of bowling too straight a line, but were nonetheless probing and beat the outside edge on numerous occasions in the first session. Batting conditions improved over the course of the afternoon with the sun intermittently piercing the clouds and the wicket drying, making all the more puzzling Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first on a Sydney green-top.