Ricky Ponting has not inserted a Test side since he asked England to bat at Edgbaston five years ago and threw away the Ashes. How he will be wishing he broke that habit on Wednesday.
The Australian captain looked down at the pitch instead of up at the clouds at Headingley after winning the toss and, scarred by the consequences of his fateful mistake in 2005, condemned his side to two-and-three-quarter hours of abject misery in this second and final Test.
Take that! Mohammad Asif celebrates the wicket of Australia captain Ricky Ponting
The facts make such unbelievable reading that they will bring joy not only to Pakistan but also to England as they look forward to their Ashes defence this winter.
Australia were bowled out for 88, simply blown away in 33.1 overs by a combination of magnificent seam and swing bowling and their own technical shortcomings at a ground where overhead conditions are paramount.
It was their second ever lowest score against Pakistan and their lowest against anyone for 26 years when a ferocious West Indian attack in their prime humiliated them for 76 on the world's fastest pitch at the WACA.
Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul are not in the class of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding but they were a mighty potent combination yesterday, pitching the ball up and exploiting conditions expertly against an Australian line-up who kept pushing ineptly against the moving ball.
A Head start: Pakistan bowled Australia out for just 88 runs on Day One
On Wednesday, Australia were 73 for six at lunch and skittled soon after as the most promising young fast bowler in the world hurried them to a double figure total.
Aamer, an 18-year- old modern-day Wasim Akram, was on a hat-trick two balls after the interval after two superlative swinging deliveries cleaned up Steve Smith, middle stump, and Mitchell Johnson, off-stump.
Perfect start: new Pakistan captain Salman Butt
And to compound Australia's misery, the sun came out when Pakistan batted, the pitch suddenly looked flat, Ponting's bowlers pitched too short and the 'home' side moved to 148 for three, a lead of 60, despite two late strikes from Shane Watson.
What an extraordinary turnaround from the most unpredictable team in world cricket.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had appeared to be deserting a sinking ship when he quit after just one Test in charge at Lord's last week and nothing seemed more certain than Australia's 14th successive Test win over Pakistan.
Yet here Pakistan were, five days later and under a new leader in Salman Butt , suddenly transformed into world-beaters and showing England they will come up against a formidable bowling unit in the four-Test series that begins at Trent Bridge next week.
Australia were almost as bad with the ball, their seamers under-performing again and Hilfenhaus reduced to grumpily sledging batsmen who refused to be as accommodating as the Australians.
Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, said: 'We discussed bowling first but we were surprised how dry the wicket looked and we felt that if we could get through the new ball it would flatten out. They bowled beautifully but when you're bowled out for 88 you haven't had a good day.'
Bowler Gul said: 'It was a shocking decision by Australia to bat first . We would definitely have bowled if we had won the toss.'
What a shame there were not more people here to see it. Yesterday, no more than 5,000 wre present , and if people leave it to the weekend to turn up it may be too late.
Only the weather might extend the match, the players absurdly being taken off for bad light immediately after Umar Akmal had smashed Smith for an outrageous straight six.
No matter. There was more than enough action.
- Middlesex seamer Steven Finn, in contention for the first Test against Pakistan next week, conceded 115 runs for his two wickets in 27 overs against Sussex at Uxbridge yesterday.
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