Pakistan looking shaky after day four of first test

Australia hold the edge over Pakistan in the first cricket test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz produced defining moments on day four.

Australia set Pakistan 422 to win after Watson finally achieved his maiden test century.

He scored an unbeaten 120 in his side's second-innings total of 225 for eight when skipper Ricky Ponting declared for the second time in the match, in the second session.

The tourists reached 170 for three at stumps - still 252 runs short of their victory target - with captain Mohammad Yousuf unbeaten on 45 and Umar Akmal 27 not out.

Yousuf and Umar could push Australia if they get going on the last day, but Pakistan still need to post the highest successful run-chase in the test history to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Left-arm quicks Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson removed Pakistan's openers leg before wicket with deliveries that swung back in, but Hauritz sent the biggest shudder through the tourists' camp with an offspinner that bowled Faisal Iqbal for 48 with an hour to play.

Iqbal had shaped to cut a delivery that pitched well outside off stump, but could not get his bat down quick enough as the ball spun sharply and crashed into off and middle.

That wicket left Pakistan 116 for three before Yousuf and Umar steadied.

But Umar had a couple of lucky escapes close to stumps, as he was dropped by Hauritz at mid-on from the first ball bowled by part-time spinner Simon Katich, and survived a close stumping call next ball.

Hauritz has had little impact in the three previous times he has tried spinning Australia to victory in the fourth innings of tests, and also could not produce when needed during the last (third) innings against England in this year's first Ashes test in Cardiff.

But his removal of Iqbal could be the sign that the spinner could yet be the match winner his country wants him to be.

Watson achieved his lifelong dream, albeit in lucky circumstances, early in the middle session, when on 99 he was dropped by Abdur Rauf at square gully off the bowling of Mohammad Aamer.

The reprieve - Pakistan's fifth dropped catch this match - allowed Watson to run through for a single and become the first Australian to reach three figures this season, after 20 unconverted half-centuries.

Watson spent an agonising 67 minutes and 39 deliveries in the 90s, and also went into the lunch interval on 98 not out.

Aamer bowled superbly in the first hour of the day, and removed Michael Clarke (37), Marcus North (eight) and Brad Haddin, for a second-ball duck.

The teenager finished with 5-79, his maiden five-wicket haul in tests.

The match has been a good one for left-arm quicks, as Bollinger and Johnson then made inroads into the Pakistan line-up.

Bollinger removed Imran Farhat (12), but only after Australia successfully challenged umpire Rudi Koertzen's original not-out decision.

Johnson dismissed Salman Butt (33) with a similar delivery in the last session, although Koertzen adjudged that one out.

SCOREBOARD:

Australia

First innings 454-5 dec

Pakistan

First innings 258

Australia

Second innings

S WATSON not out 120

S KATICH c K Akmal b Asif 2

R PONTING c Butt b Aamer 12

M HUSSEY lbw Aamer 4

M CLARKE c K Akmal b Aamer 37

M NORTH b Aamer 8

B HADDIN c K Akmal b Aamer 0

M JOHNSON run out (Asif) 22

N HAURITZ st K Akmal b Ajmal 8

Extras (2lb 3w 7nb) 12

Total (for 8 wkts dec, 73.1 overs) 225

Fall: 15 (Katich), 32 (Ponting), 40 (Hussey), 143 (Clarke), 161 (North), 161 (Haddin), 198 (Johnson), 225 (Hauritz).

Bowling: M Asif 16-3-38-1 (2w), M Aamer 24-6-79-5 (1w 6nb), S Ajmal 23.1-1-73-1, A Rauf 10-3-33-0 (1nb).

Pakistan

Second innings (target: 422)

I FARHAT lbw Bollinger 12

S BUTT lbw Johnson 33

F IQBAL b Hauritz 48

M YOUSUF not out 45

U AKMAL not out 27

Extras (1b 1lb 1w 2nb) 5

Total (for 3 wkts, 45 overs) 170

Fall: 18 (Farhat), 80 (Butt), 116 (Iqbal).

Bowling: D Bollinger 10-3-31-1, P Siddle 8-3-26-0, N Hauritz 15-2-62-1 (2nb), M Johnson 10-2-36-1 (1w), S Katich 2-0-13-0.

- AAP