It’s a bird, it’s a plane … no, it’s Shoaib

Set a victory target of 316, Pakistan will begin their chase tomorrow morning after rain washed out the entire last session.

Working up lightening speed, Akhtar began the destruction by forcing first-innings centurion Ponting to play onto his stumps after making seven.

Mark Waugh went first ball as Akhtar’s yorker crashed into his wicket. Captain Steve Waugh barely survived the hat-trick delivery, the edge missing his stumps by a whisker, but could not escape the next which crashed into his pads. After Hayden fell at the same total of 74 Akhtar clean bowled Adam Gilchrist for five and trapped Shane Warne leg-before for zero.

‘‘I will consider this my best bowling only if Pakistan wins the match,’’ Akhtar said. ‘‘I have had problems with my rhythm and injuries in the past, but it was just perfect today. I want to be the best against the best.’’

Brett Lee, who had hit batsman Akhtar on the helmet with a bouncer in the morning, was greeted by a dangerous full toss which earned the bowler a warning from umpire Steve Bucknor.