1st Test (Day-1): Pakistan Vs. Australia - - Missing Two Tons By Shane Watson and Simon Katich Couldn't Stop Australia To Dominate The First Day

MELBOURNE: Poor fielding and dropped catches by Pakistan players helped Australia pile up 305 runs for three wickets on the opening day of the first Test match here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

However, the both openers could not succeed in reaching their individual hundreds and were out in the nineties.

Shane Watson, who earlier fell twice in the nineties in Adelaide and Perth, again became the victim of the nervous 90s as he was run out on 93. He has made six half-centuries in 11 innings as opener.

His partner Simon Katich also fell on 98, missing his ninth Test hundred.

The highlight of the first day's play was unquestionably the run-out of Watson, which saw both batsmen stranded at the strikers' end while Imran Farhat merrily removed the bails at the other. Katich's tendency to call while advancing down the wicket coaxed his partner into the run, and Watson's refusal to turn back led to an awkward situation in which the two openers stood their ground for more than a minute awaiting the verdict as to who should leave the field.

Both openers provided their team a solid start of 182 runs. It is the sixth time in 11 innings that Watson and Katich notched a partnership of more than 50 runs.

Later, captain Ricky Ponting also made fifty. He was dismissed for 57 after adding 51 with Katich for the second and 58 with Michael Hussey (38 not out) for the third wicket.

Fast bowler Mohammad Asif was the most successful bowler for Pakistan taking two wickets for 69 runs.

Ponting was earlier passed fit to take his place in the side.

And he will be delighted with the decision as Watson and Katich blunted the Pakistan attack and set about building a large first-innings total.

While the bowlers have toiled hard, the visitors still have their problems in the field.

Coming off a 1-1 series draw in New Zealand in which it dropped half a dozen catches in the Wellington Test alone, Pakistan's woes continued in Melbourne with both batsmen offering early chances.

After nearly being run out on three, Katich should have been on his way back to the pavilion moments later when 19-year-old Umar Akmal grassed a sitter at gully.

Watson was dropped on 43 by Misbah-ul-Haq at slip off the bowling of spinner Saeed Ajmal (0-50), who was a late replacement in the XI after Danish Kaneria was ruled out with a finger injury.



Pakistan also called in tall paceman Abdur Rauf (0-42) for just his third Test to replace Umar Gul who was forced out with illness.

Ponting spent several hours in a hyperbaric chamber this week after being hit by West Indies paceman Kemar Roach in Perth.

Peter Siddle also returned to the side in place of fellow Victorian quick Clint McKay after a hamstring injury kept him out of the third Test against the West Indies last week.

Nathan Hauritz was also passed fit after battling a groin complaint.