Hauritz takes five wickets, Australia win test

WAYNE TAYLOR/The Age

FIVE: Australian offspinner Nathan Hauritz achieved his maiden five-wicket haul against Pakistan.

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Ricky Ponting believes his bowlers are at the top of their game and that Australia are again headed for world cricket domination.

Delighted by his attack's efforts in the 170-run win over Pakistan in the first test, the Australian skipper hailed today's victory at the MCG one of the best of recent times.

Ponting could not think of an occasion where this group of bowlers had performed better, after they took just 27 overs on the fifth day to claim the remaining seven Pakistani wickets.

"The bowling through the game has been as good as it's been in our team for the last couple of years," he said.

"It's been a great game for us.

"It's one of our best test wins in quite a while, I think, right from the start of the game, from the (Simon) Katich and (Shane) Watson partnership which really set the platform."

Set 422 to win, Pakistan were all out for 251 in their second innings, two overs after lunch.

The tourists began with hope they could pull off the game's greatest pursuit, but Mitchell Johnson's successive wickets in the first over, and Nathan Hauritz's double strike late in the session dashed the dream.

Both bowlers were denied hat-tricks, but enjoyed excellent matches.

Johnson's 3-46 gave him a match return of 6-82 and Hauritz's 5-101 was his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, after his test-best 75, as nightwatchman.

Watson was man of the match for his 93 and unbeaten 120 - his maiden test hundred - and Ponting achieved history, as the game's most successful player and captain.

Australia's win was Ponting's 42nd as skipper and 93rd as player, both more than anyone else in the game.

Ponting was proud of those achievements and optimistic he had a side that could return Australian cricket to the top of the tree.

Under Steve Waugh and then Ponting, Australia dominated world cricket this decade until the exodus of several champion players across 2007-08 and series losses to India (away last year), South Africa (home last summer) and England (away this year).

"In the past couple of years with our test cricket we haven't done a lot wrong," Ponting said.

"We haven't won everything that we've played in, but we've been ultra-competitive against every team in every condition that we've been in, as simple as that.

"We haven't been as dominant, but we are building a squad of players right at the moment that in a couple of years time are going to be a very dominant team again."

Australia are currently third in the world test rankings, behind India and South Africa, and after this three-match series, play New Zealand (away) and Pakistan (in England) next year, before they host England next summer.

Ponting expected Watson and Hauritz to only improve on their breakthrough performances, which bodes well for the second test at the SCG, which starts Sunday.

Australia's selectors showed faith in the side, by naming an unchanged squad for the second test.

Ponting had noted Pakistan's ordinary record against wrist spin meant NSW legspinner Steven Smith could have been added, but the selectors did not tinker with the side.

Pakistan are likely to make changes, as legspinner Danish Kaneria has overcome a finger injury and should replace paceman Abdur Rauf in Sydney.

The tourists have also sent an SOS to batsman and former skipper Younus Khan to join the squad after his month in self-imposed exile.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf said the tourists began today confident, but that was quickly extinguished.

"The first over put us under pressure - Johnson's first over killed us," Yousuf said.

- AAP