This opening Test is developing into an intriguing contest. Australia's dominance, so absolute during the first five sessions, has been broken by two brilliant individual performances, the first an audacious assault with the bat by Faisal Iqbal last night and the second a sensational four over burst of searing pace by Shoaib Akhtar this afternoon that leaves Pakistan with an outside chance of victory.

And then there is the performance of leg-spinner Shane Warne, who spun his way through the Pakistani lower order this morning to pick up seven for 94, the 22nd time he's taken five wickets or more in an innings and the seventh time he has taken a Test seven-for, as Pakistan were bowled out for 279 in their first innings, narrowly avoiding the follow on.

Warne will have time to grab the limelight on Sunday, when he is sure to test Pakistani's impatient batsmen on an increasingly dusty pitch at the Saravanamuttu Oval, but today his performance was overshadowed by the "Rawlpindi Express" who grabbed five wickets in 15 balls during a compelling 30 minute passage of play after the luncheon interval.

Australia were steadily building upon their 188 run lead, looking likely to bat throughout the day and post Pakistan an impossible target. But, apparently cruising on 74 for one when Shoaib Akhtar was tossed the ball for his second spell of the innings, Australia lost their last nine wickets for 53 runs to be bowled out for 127, their lowest ever total against Pakistan.

Racing into bowl, charged with aggression, his long shiny black locks flowing behind him, Akhtar worked up tremendous pace on a pitch that has provided little assistance to the fast bowlers, producing a succession of inswinging thunderbolts that ripped the heart out of Australia's batting.

Ricky Ponting, the first innings centurion, was the first to go when he dragged a short ball onto to his stumps, before Mark Waugh, under pressure for his place in the side, was clean bowled first ball by a laser-like yorker.

Shoaib nearly claimed a hat-trick when Steve Waugh jabbed done on another full-length delivery just in time, the ball missing the stumps by a whisker, but next ball Waugh shuffled across his stumps and appeared unfortunate to be adjudged lbw by umpire Steve Bucknor after an imploring appeal.

Next over, Matthew Hayden (34), who had been watching Akhtar's triple wicket maiden from the safety of the non-strikers end, padded away a Saqlain off-break only to watch in disgust as umpire Venkat raised his finger after a bat-pad appeal.

Four wickets had fallen without a single run being scored and Australia were suddenly in grave trouble on 74 for five with a lead of just 262.

Adam Gilchrist clipped a boundary off the first ball of Shoaib's next over but did not last long as a lethal yorker thundered into the base of the left-hander's stumps. Warne completed a pair when he was trapped lbw, a marginal decision with the ball possibly slipping down the leg-side, to give Shoaib his fifth five-for in his 22-Test career.

Shortly being replaced by Mohammad Sami, he could have had another if Younis Khan had held on a to a difficult one-handed chance at second slip off Brett Lee, who was painfully struck on the hip first ball by a waist high full toss, a dangerous delivery that led to Akhtar being given an official warning.

Lee, missed again in the slips when on eight off Sami, added 18 valuable runs with Damien Martyn before being snared by Saqlain at short cover before Sami trapped Jason Gillespie lbw and Martyn top edged a sweep.

There is no doubt that Australia still hold a clear advantage with Pakistan having successfully chased 300 plus to win on only one previous occasion, in 1994-5 when they scored 315 against the Australians at Karachi, but the pitch remains flat and easy-paced meaning Pakistan have a slim chance if they play Warne better than they did in the first innings.

Earlier in the day, Warne needed just six balls to dismiss yesterday's hero, Faisal Iqbal, who had played the leg-spinner so fearlessly during a final 30 over session that yielded 160 runs. Today, however, Faisal looked less self-assured, edging over the slips in the first over of the day before being brilliantly caught by Mark Waugh at first slip.

He finished with 83 from 85 balls having hit 16 fours, a wonderful innings that ensured Pakistan did not have to follow on last evening. The pair had added 103 runs from 96 balls.

Rashid Latif, dropped on 36 and 57 at slip and gully, went on to score 66 from 106 balls, hitting ten fours in all, before mistiming a sweep and being caught at short mid-wicket by Martyn.

Saqlain lasted just 13 balls before being trapped lbw by a leg-break that could have missed his off-stump. Waqar swung Warne mightily over mid-wicket for six and cracked two more boundaries before also being trapped lbw as he missed a full toss and the innings was ended when Akhtar was well caught in the deep by Glen McGrath.

© CricInfo