Slater, Steve steal the show

They came together in the morning session after pace bowler Wasim Akram had claimed the wickets of captain Mark Taylor and Justin Langer in successive deliveries and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed had dismissed Mark Waugh for nought.

Slater was out playing a tired shot, caught at cover by Mohammad Wasim off left-arm spinner Mohammad Hussain after tea.

He hit 11 fours and a six off Mushtaq in his eighth Test century. His hundred came in 238 minutes and 205 balls and his innings lasted 298 minutes.

Waugh’s hundred, his 15th in Tests, came half an hour later in 256minutes and 220 balls, with nine fours and a six off Saqlain Mushtaq.

The Pakistan bowlers did beat the bat on quite a number of occasions but had no luck as Slater and Waugh mixed caution with aggression to thwart them.

“It was highly satisfying to make a hundred in the first Test against Pakistan,” said a delighted Slater, whose last last century was 219 against Sri Lanka in 1995-96 in Australia. “It was tough but enjoyable,” Waugh said.

Saeed Anwar and Mushtaq resumed the Pakistan innings in the morning at 253 for eight, having rescued their side yesterday with a record ninth-wicket stand for Pakistan in Tests against Australia.

But the last two wickets fell for only 16 more runs just 50 minutes into the session.

Opener Anwar, 132 overnight, was caught by Langer at short leg off leg-spinner Stuart MaCgill for 145, having hit 12 fours and batted for 386 minutes. The ninth-wicket stand was finally worth 120.

MaCgill finished with five for 66, his second Test haul of five wickets since he madehis debut earlier this year.

Scoreboard

Pakistan (1st innings) (overnight 253-8):

Saeed Anwar c Langer b MaCgill 145, Aamir Sohail c Healy b McGrath 4, Mohammad Wasim c Healy b Fleming 1, Inzamam-ul Haq c Langer b McGrath 14, Salim Malik c Taylor b Miller 10, Azhar Mahmood c McGrath b MaCgill 16, Moin Khan c Fleming b MaCgill 39, Wasim Akram c Fleming b MaCgill 0, Mohammad Hussain b MaCgill 1, Mushtaq Ahmed run out 26, Saqlain Mushtaq not out 2; Extras: (b5, lb2, nb4) 11. Total (all out in 97 overs) 269

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-18, 3-35, 4-50, 5-81, 6-140, 7-140, 8-147, 9-267

Bowling:McGrath 26-3-83-2, Fleming 20-3-39-1, Miller 23-4-65-1, MaCgill 22-5-66-5, Lehman 4-1-3-0, S Waugh 2-0-6-0

Australia (1st innings):

Michael Slater c M Wasim b Hussain 108, Mark Taylor c Moin b Akram 3, Justin Langer lbw b Akram 0, Mark Waugh lbw b Mushtaq Ahmed 0, Steve Waugh batting 104, Darren Lehman batting 4; Extras: (lb9, nb9) 18.

Total (for four wickets off 84 overs):237

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-11, 3-28, 4-226

Bowling: Akram 16-2-54-2, Mahmood 4-1-4-0, Ahmed 23-4-60-1, Mushtaq 22-5-59-0, Hussain 8-2-24-1, Sohail 11-2-27-0.