Close Australia 298 for 3 (Hayden 89, Ponting 142*)
Scorecard

Ricky Ponting's 12th Test century, and another dominant innings from Matthew Hayden, carried Australia to 298 for 3 at the close of the first day of the third Test at Sharjah. They may have failed to pass 300 in a day's play for the first time in living memory, but with temperatures so high that the players were allowed to retreat to the pavilion for two drinks breaks per session, it was a fine platform from which to push for that 3-0 series whitewash. Bad light also forced a slightly early close.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Australia lost Justin Langer to the fifth ball of the innings – bowled by Waqar Younis for 4 (4 for 1) – but from then on Hayden and Ponting batted with ease and fluency on a sluggish pitch. The Pakistanis, lacking the services of the injured Shoaib Akhtar, wilted in the desert heat. The only moment of discomfort for either batsman came when Ponting misjudged a delivery from Mohammad Sami and was struck on the jaw.

Hayden, who scored an heroic 119 in last week's rout, looked to have a 10th Test century in his pocket. But he was eventually snaffled at short leg by Faisal Iqbal off Saqlain Mushtaq for 89 (188 for 2). Ponting wasn't to be denied, however, and reached his hundred with a lofted six over long-on. By the close he had gone one run better than his 141 in the first match of the series in Colombo.

Things didn't all go Australia's way, and by the close the future of the Waugh twins was no clearer after a pair of unconvincing innings. Mark Waugh, as is his wont, was all fluency and timing in his 33-ball cameo, stroking five fours in his 23. But he gave it away when well set, caught behind by Rashid Latif off Saqlain, moments after surviving a vehement lbw appeal. Steve Waugh, by contrast, was all at sea for the best part of his knock but, crucially, he was still hanging on at the end, with a hard-earned 33 not out.

Pakistan made three changes for this match. Sami came in for Shoaib, while Imran Farhat replaced Imran Nazir at the top of the order. There was no place, however, for Shahid Afridi, who had been widely expected to fill in for Abdul Razzaq, whose wrist was broken by a Brett Lee delivery in the second Test. But, with the selectors perhaps mindful of the need to shore up the brittle middle order, Hasan Raza got the final place instead.

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