Australia close in on clean sweep despite Raza heroics

Hasan Raza taught his team mates a thing or two about the rudiments of batting, technique, application and temperatement for the second day running. And his efforts in scoring unbeaten fifties in each innings, and importantly rallying the tail around him, saved Pakistan from absolute disaster, stretching the third Test to a fourth day. It had seemed improbable when wickets were clattering earlier.

But just as a lone swallow never made a summer, Raza alone could only do so much. As the light dimmed and the umpires called it a day nine overs early, with eight wickets gone and 47 runs still needed to make Australia bat again, their victory on day four and with it a 3-0 series wrap-up is more or less a foregone conclusion.

The day belonged to the Aussies, and in particular to Glenn McGrath, who reached the 400-wicket landmark, only the eighth bowler ever with the distinction. Shane Warne completed his 23rd five-for and then extended it to an eight-wicket haul of 27 - an Australian record tally for a three-match rubber.

163 for six in their first innings overnight, Pakistan folded for 221 on the stroke of lunch. Steve Waugh enforced the follow-on, and at 176 for eight at stumps, Pakistan were on the brink of rolling over for the second time.

Of the top order, only the rediscovered Raza stood resolute. The first four batsmen went for 30, and seven had gone with just 86 on the board. But a quicksilver stand of 55 for the eighth wicket between Raza and skipper Waqar Younis, and some dour defence by Mohammad Sami nsured that the match was pushed to day four.

An end to the hosts' batting nightmare seems nowhere in sight. With a huge first innings lead of 223 runs, Australia got among the wickets almost immediately. Unluckily for young Taufeeq Umar, he became Glenn McGrath's 401st victim without edging the ball. As has been the trend this series, it heralded a slide. Younis Khan padded up to a McGrath inswinger to be lbw, Faisal Iqbal was run out going for a needless third run. Imran Farhat initially rode his luck but failed to curb his habit of fishing outside off-stump and was finally caught by Adam Gilchrist trying to cut Andy Bichel too close to his body. Bichel bowled Raza with a no ball before he had scored, but Warne then accounted for Misbah-ul-Haq and Saqlain Mushtaq. It was then that Waqar joined Raza to restore a measure of dignity.

Pakistan had earlier been forced to follow on despite Raza's resistance with the tail, which included a stand with Saqlain Mushtaq of 91 for the seventh wicket. Raza, still only 20 and featuring in only his third Test since becoming the youngest-ever Test debutant six years ago against Zimbabwe - remained unbeaten as the innings folded.

Saqlain (44, 80 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) played an untimely heave to give McGrath his 399th wicket. Two more wickets fell quickly; McGrath dropped Waqar off his own bowling, but quickly made amends by trapping him lbw to reach the magical 400 mark. Warne chipped in with Sami's wicket to make it 199 for nine. Danish Kaneria cross-batted Warne's first ball for four over mid-wicket to bring up the 200, but was then stumped to become Warne's fifth victim.