At the close of the second day of the third and final Test Pakistan were 170 for six in reply to Australia's first innings 280.

Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail led a recovery with an unbeaten 83 after his side had slumped to 54 for four.

McGrath produced two blistering spells on a slow track to finish with four for 41 from 15 overs.

He captured the scalps of Shahid Afridi (10), Ijaz Ahmad (5), Inzamam-ul-Haq (9) and Moin Khan (20) to take his tally of wickets to 177 in 40 Tests.

McGrath was also involved in the dismissal of Salim Malik. He caught him at point off Stuart MacGill to leave Pakistan in dire trouble at 54 for four. McGrath had Afridi caught by Mark Taylor as he attempted a cover drive while Ijaz tried an over-ambitious hook to be caught by Ian Healy. Inzamam was snapped up by Darren Lehmann at shortextra-cover.

McGrath ended Moin's resistance with a short-pitched delivery which the Pakistan wicket-keeper clipped to Michael Slater at square leg.

Sohail's invaluable 155-ball knock included 11 fours and a six. He and former captain Wasim Akram put on 54 in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership.

Earlier, 18-year-old wrist spinner Shahid Afridi took the wickets of Gavin Robertson (5) and Glenn McGrath (6) to become Pakistan's fifth bowler to capture five wickets or more on his Test debut.

Ian Healy made 47, sharing a 55-run ninth-wicket stand with MacGill after Australia had lost two quick wickets when they resumed on 207 for six.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):Taylor c Haq b Arshad Khan 16, M Slater st Moin Khan b Arshad Khan 96, J langer lbw b Shoaib Akhtar 30, M Waugh c Haq b Afridi 26, S Waugh lbw b Shahid Afridi 0, D Lehmann b Shahid Afridi 3, I Healy c Moin Khan b Arshad Khan 47, G Robertson c Youhanna b Afridi 5, C Miller b Akram 0, S MacGill not out 23, G McGrath c ShakeelAhmed b Afridi 6. Extras (b 1, lb 17, nb 10): 28. Total (all out, 125.3 overs): 280

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-105, 3-169, 4-169, 5-179, 6-189, 7-210, 8-211, 9-266.

Bowling: Wasim Akram 22-4-51-1 (6 nb), Shoaib Akhtar 14.2-3-39-1 (4 nb), Shakeel Ahmed 24.4-9-48-0, Arshad Khan 41-14-72-3, Shahid Afridi 23.3-6-52-5

Pakistan (1st Innings): A Sohail not out 83, S Afridi c Taylor b McGrath 10, Ijaz Ahmad c Healy b McGrath 5, Inzamam-ul-Haq c Lehmann b McGrath 9, S Malik c McGrath b MacGill 0, Y Yohanna b Robertson 9, Moin Khan c Slater b McGrath 20, W Akram not out 19. Extras (b 5, lb 4, w 1, nb 5): 15. Total (for 6 wickets): 170

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-40, 3-51, 4-54, 5-69, 6-116.

Bowling: McGrath 15-4-41-4, Miller 11-1-46-0, MacGill 16-2-45-1, Robertson 12-4-23-1, Lehmann 1-0-6-0.