Pakistan's first "home" series since losing hosting rights got off to an interesting start. First there were the Twenty20 victories against Australia, a team that tormented them earlier in the year, then traumatized them in the World Twenty20 semi-final. But how would Pakistan do in Test matches? First came the crushing defeat in the first Test, with Australia sealing a comfortable victory by 150 runs. Things seemed back to normal for Australia and Pakistan, but it's never easy to tell with Pakistan. Australia found this out the hard way on the first day of the second Test.

Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer found a good line and length early on, troubling Simon Katich and Shane Watson early on in the corridor outside the off-stump. There were lots of "oohs" and "aahs" as the ball just beat the outside edge, a couple of loud LBW appeals turned down , and the odd stray ball down the middle and leg line being dealt with accordingly. Aamer made the first breakthrough, trapping Katich in front, who had moved too far across his stumps, for 13. Ricky Ponting was the next man in at 20/1, surviving a very good LBW shout for a ball Hawk-Eye guessed would have made the bails tremble. Mohammed Asif accounted for Shane Watson the next over, getting him in front with one that shaped back in. Umar Gul was the first bowling change, and he accounted for a careless Michael Clarke, who played all around a straight one. Australia were 27/3, having lost 3 wickets for 7 runs. Mohammed Asif troubled Ricky Ponting for most of the 14th over, eventually trapping him at the end with a delivery that nipped back in. Ponting gone for 6, and Australia were in uncharted territory at 29/4. Pakistan will never get tired of taking Michael Hussey's wicket, and he was the next man to go, LBW to Umar Gul for just 5. Replays suggested that the ball would have gone down the leg side, but Australia were caught in the headlights at 41/5.

Marcus North and Tim Paine stitched together a 19-run partnership - the second-best of their day - before North chased a wide one from Umar Amin to give Amin his first Test wicket. Probably more surprising was that Kamran Akmal held onto the catch. Thanks to a brace of boundaries by Steven Smith, Australia went to lunch in the precarious position of 73/6. They came back from lunch to see Smith and Mitchell Johnson removed in two consecutive, brilliant deliveries by Mohammed Aamer. Ben Hilfenhaus was run out to a good piece of fielding by Umar Amin, and Tim Paine fell the next over, caught behind off Mohammed Asif. Australia folded in the most dramatic and sensational fashion imaginable - 88 all out in 33.1 overs. Paine's 17 was the highest score to Mohammed Aamer's 11-4-20-3, Mohammed Aasif's 10.1-1-30-3, and Umar Gul's 9-3-16-2.

So leading by only 88 halfway through day 1, Australia's bowlers didn't do much to help their cause. Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger mixed accurate seam bowling with some very wayward freebies. Salman Butt and Imran Farhat put on 80 for the first wicket before Butt was bowled by a Hilfenhaus inswinger for 45. Shane Watson turned out to be Australia's unlikely hero, getting Imran Farhat dead in front for 43 (133/2) and Azhar Ali caught behind for 30 (140/2). Australia would have wanted to see the final over of the day out on that high, but Umar Akmal tonked Steven Smith for an almighty 6 to end the day for Pakistan at 148/3.

Pakistan certainly have come a long way from the weeks when they couldn't buy a victory against Australia. Many teams have tasted defeat against Australia, but not many can say they reduced the Aussies to an unimaginable 88 all out. Aamer and Asif brought back good memories of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram destroying many a batting lineup - seven Aussie wickets were either LBW or bowled. Australia would be somewhat satisfied at taking three wickets in Pakistan's lead of 60, but they'd know that you can't win too many Test matches with a first innings score of 88. For their part, Pakistan, better than any other team in world cricket, would know that until the last ball is bowled, the last run is scored or the last wicket is taken, Australia are not beaten.