Pakistan take charge of SCG Test

Pakistan have bowled Australian out for a paltry 127 to take a firm grip on the second Test following an extraordinary opening day at the SCG.

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The home side was dismissed shortly before stumps after winning the toss and electing to bat on a seaming greentop of a wicket.

Paceman Mohammad Asif was the chief destroyer with career-best figures of six for 41 - the second-best return by a Pakistani bowler at the SCG.

It was Asif's sixth five-wicket haul in just his 16th Test.

Bad light stopped play for the day 10 minutes before stumps, the visitors to resume day two at 14 for no loss with Imran Farhat on nine and Salman Butt three.

Australia were on 62 for seven prior to tea before a 44-run eighth wicket partnership between Nathan Hauritz (21) and Mitchell Johnson (38) eased the score past 100.

Rain delayed start of play until 2pm local time, and Ricky Ponting was left regretting his decision to bat soon after play got under way.

Ponting and the recalled Phillip Hughes fell for ducks in successive balls, with Shane Watson (six), Michael Clarke (three), Michael Hussey (28), Marcus North (10) and Brad Haddin (six) making hasty exits as the Pakistan quicks made the most of the perfect bowling conditions

Mohammad Sami (three for 20) took the first three wickets before the impressive Asif stepped up in centre-stage to remove the next six batsmen.

The previously innocuous Sami, who took a Test bowling average of 51 into the match, was almost unplayable as he ripped through the Australian top order.

He removed Hughes, an 11th hour replacement for the injured Simon Katich, and Ponting to boast figures of two for nought before adding Watson to his list of victims.

Having waited 167 days for another chance at Test level, Hughes charged to the crease well ahead of his opening partner Watson and nervously made his way to the non-striker's end.

Having patiently waited as Watson faced the first over, the 21-year-old should have been back in the pavilion immediately after he flashed a trademark cut shot straight to Umar Akmal at gully who dropped the regulation chance.

The fidgety left-hander somehow survived the remainder of Mohammad Sami's first over but did little to settle the nerves of the SCG faithful when he swiped wildly at the seventh ball he faced and was lucky not to offer an edge.

Sami got his man three balls later when Hughes offered a thick edge to Fasal Iqbal at second slip, ending his unconvincing 14-minute stay at the crease without managing a run.

Hughes' Twenty20 approach seemed to infect Ponting, who launched into an ambitious pull shot to the first ball he faced and top-edged a catch to Umar Gul at backward square for a golden duck.

The big day-one crowd was shocked into silence as Hussey joined Watson in the middle.

Further drama was just a ball away, Watson struck on the front toe by Sami as the Pakistanis entered into a raucous lbw appeal.

Umpire Billy Doctrove gave Watson not out but the visitors asked for the decision to be referred.

The third umpire upheld the on-field decision but Watson's demise was just around the corner.

After cracking Australia's first boundary in the eighth over, the opener pushed forward to a Sami outswinger and nicked a simple catch to Kamran Akmal behind the stumps.

His departure left the hosts reeling at 10 for three.

Clarke arrived and was immediately off the mark with a punched two through cover, but his innings would have ended there had an lbw verdict not been overturned with the score at 17 for three.

Umpire Asoka de Silva gave Clarke out to a ball from Gul which appeared to heading well over the bails.

Clarke sent the decision upstairs and the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief when he was ruled not out.

The Australian vice-captain was breathing even deeper a ball later after inside edging Gul into his protector.

He crawled to three as the home side moved cautiously to 36 before the fourth wicket fell.

Clarke drove hard at Asif and was bowled between bat and pad as the ball nipped back off the seam.

The drama just kept coming.

With the score on 42, North was given out lbw to Asif for two.

The Western Australian referred a decision to the video umpire and was allowed to fight another day after the decision was reversed.

His WA team-mate Hussey was next to go, attempting to pull Asif but only succeeding in sending a top edge high above the slips cordon.

Misbah Ul-Haq turned from first slip and held his nerve to reel in the catch and leave Australia at 51 for five.

Without adding to the total, North flirted at the next ball and was out caught behind to place Asif on a hat-trick.

Haddin negotiated the hat-trick ball but was out just before tea after driving ambitiously at Asif and spiralling a catch to Mohammad Yousuf at mid-off.

Hauritz added a breezy 21 before being caught behind off the impressive Asif.

Johnson smashed five fours and a six off 57 balls to top-score with 38 before holing out to cover to give Asif his sixth victim.

Doug Bollinger was the last man out, leaving the tourists 14 overs to survive until stumps.