Mid-way through the final session of the second day Pakistan looked set to follow on against Australia but, by the close, they had been given fresh hope after an audacious assault by the latest Pakistani youngster to announce his talent to the world.

Faisal Iqbal, the 20-year-old nephew of batting legend Javed Miandad, grabbed his chance to impress in the absence of key senior batsmen, smashing 78 from 80 balls and breaking Australia's iron-like grip on the Test.

Australia still hold the initiative having scored 467 in their first innings, but Pakistan can now expect to overhaul the follow on target of 268 tomorrow morning, finishing as they did on 210 for five when bad light stopped play.

At 116 for five, despite a stylish boundary-studded half-century from Younis Khan, Pakistan's most experienced specialist batsman in this game with a mere 20 Test caps, Waqar Younis's side were in dire straits.

Leg spinner Shane Warne, spinning the ball sharply on this dry Saravanamuttu pitch, had already claimed the wickets of Abdul Razzaq (11) and Misbah-ul-Haq (17), and was threatening from one end with the menacing Glen McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee being rotated from the other.

Faisal reacted boldly, launching a stunning counter-attack. Against Warne his footwork was exceptional, quickly moving to the pitch of the ball, even when the leg-spinner bowled from around the wicket. Eventually he forced Warne out of the attack as he plundered 18 runs from an over.

Racing to fifty off just 59 balls, he quickly passed his previous career-best of 63, playing the quick bowlers with the same uninhibited freedom. His wristwork was characteristically Asian but his high-elbowed checked follow through would have also delighted the technical purists.

In wicket-keeper Rashid Latif he found a willing partner and the pair added 94 from just 84 balls, meaning a staggering 160 runs flowed from the final 30-over session of the day. When they were forced from the field it was the Australians who would have breathed the greatest sigh of relief. Tomorrow, with the adrenalin no longer flooding through Faisal's veins, they will be desperate to strike early.

Indeed, Pakistan are far from safety. This game, despite finishing prematurely on both evenings because of bad light, is so advanced that saving the follow-on is the minimum requirement for Pakistan to escape defeat – they need to push on and get close to Australia's 467.

That will be difficult with a long tail but it could have been impossible if Pakistan's bowlers had not surged back into the game in the afternoon as Australia collapsed, losing their last five wickets for just 14 runs.

During a chanceless and wicketless morning Damien Martyn (67) and Adam Gilchrist (66) had followed the plunder of the opening day, when 330 runs had been scored in just 77.2 overs, with a two-and-a-half hour session of workmanlike consolidation. A score in excess of 600 appeared probable.

However, after prayers and lunch, Saqlain Mushtaq, who had toiled away earnestly throughout most of the morning, made the vital breakthrough as Martyn gloved an attempted sweep and was caught at leg slip, ending a 128-run stand for the sixth wicket. That opened a window of opportunity for the floppy haired Shoaib Akhtar, who had bowled with passion and pace throughout the preceding four sessions without reward.

He left Adam Gilchrist stranded, taking three wickets in just seven balls as Shane Warne (0) fended off into the hands of short leg, Lee (2) played on to his stumps and Jason Gillespie (0) missed an in-swinging yorker first ball.

The dramatic finale to the Australian innings was followed by an equally spectacular start to the Pakistani reply, as Imran Nazir (0) was pinned lbw fifth ball and Taufeeq Umar (0) edged Gillespie's first delivery of the game into the slips.

Abdul Razzaq, promoted to number three in the absence of Yousuf Youhana and Inzamann-ul-Haq, scored just 11 before being caught behind trying a swirling cover drive.

Younis, though, refused to curb his attacking instincts, helping to wrestle back some initiative during a 62-ball 58 that included 13 fours. However, when he was brilliantly caught at cover and Misbah edged a leg break into the hands of Mark Waugh at slip, Pakistan looked finished.

Until, that is, Faisal enhanced Pakistan's reputation for possessing abundant reserves of rich, raw talent. They will be hoping that he helps provide a permanent solution to a recently fragile batting order.

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