After the embarrassment (and shock) of collapsing to 88 all out on the first day of the Test, Australia did well to hold Pakistan to 258, and then stage a recovery of their own, finishing day 2 on 136/2. Ricky Ponting led the counter-attack with a tough 61, but his day 3 got off to a bad start, edging Mohammed Aamer behind off a loose stroke, having added just 5 to his overnight total. Australia 145/3, trailing by only 25, but they would have wanted Ponting to have stuck around for much longer. Aamer then accounted for Michael Hussey, who Pakistan will never get tired of dismissing, for just 8, and Australia were in real trouble, 4 wickets down and still 12 runs behind. Marcus North was the next to go for 0, courtesy Aamer again, as Australia were in danger of being dismissed twice inside three days - 164-5, trailing by 6 runs.
Tim Paine and a gutsy 50 from Michael Clarke took Australia over the deficit. They got Australia to 217, before Clarke was squared up by an exceptional Mohammed Asif delivery that went to Kamral Akmal behind the stumps, and Australia found themselves teetering again. The 53-run partnership between Paine and Clarke needed to have lasted much longer, as Australia lead by only 47, with four wickets left. Paine lasted only 15 more runs, falling to Umar Gul off a loose shot when he looked well set on 33, and Australia were in serious trouble at 246/6, ahead by just 76. Asif got rid of Mitchell Johnson, whose stock has declined rather drastically recently, for just 12, as Australia slumped to 283/8, leading by 113. But bowling with the new ball, Ben Hilfenhaus and the unorthodox (and surprisingly clean) hitting of Steven Smith pushed Australia over 300, taking the lead over 150. Hilfenhaus eventually fell to Danish Kaneria for a quick 17, but Smith surprised everybody by bringing up his maiden Test 50, off only 79 balls. To further seal his authority, he slammed two gigantic 6s off Kaneria's bowling in consecutive balls, but fell to an Umar Gul slower delivery for 77 off just 100 balls (nine 4s and two 6s). Australia eventually were all out for 349, giving Pakistan a target of 180 to win the second Test and square the series.
Only Pakistan could look at 180 in seven sessions and wonder about defeat, and it would have certainly seemed that way had Shane Watson at first slip had held onto an edge from Imran Farhat in only the 3rd over, when Pakistan were just 8. As it was, the straightforward chance was grassed. But Australia struck back soon after, Ben Hilfenhaus removing Salman Butt for 13, to leave Pakistan at 27/1. Azhar Ali and Farhat brought the 100 up for Pakistan, frustrating every attempt by Ricky Ponting to unsettle them. Fathat eventually fell to a brilliant yorker by Doug Bollinger for 67, and then got Umar Amin for a duck in his next over, and Pakistan were suddenly 140/3 - only 40 runs away from victory, but tightening their grip on defeat. Not wanting to risk any more excitement, the Pakistani batsmen accepted the umpire's offer of the light, even though the sun was shining brightly at Headingly. Ponting wanted to play on, but eventually lead his team off the ground, knowing that despite their legendary collapse on day 1, they stood a surprisingly decent chance of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
If this were any other team in the world, it would be a simple case of going through the motions - come back the next day, knock the remaining 40 runs off, shake hands with Ponting, make the speeches, etcetera, etcetera. But with Pakistan, the writing on the wall is temporary, at best, and misleading, at worst. If they failed to score 180, it wouldn't have been the first time their batsmen capitulated with winning all but assured. Steven Smith's blazing 77 gave Australia a chance, but Shane Watson dropping Imran Farhat (who went on to add 59 more runs) will take lots of therapy to overcome. While all the money in the world couldn't have bought Pakistan any victories when they toured Australia earlier in the year, at the end of day 3 in Headingly, they stand only 40 runs away from exorcising an underworld of demons. However, they are brittle on their best day and lost two quick wickets - and Australia have a habit for rising from the ashes when all looked lost.