A golden duck and a less than golden captaincy moment plunged Australian skipper Ricky Ponting into a nightmare start to the new year.

Ponting won the toss but was quickly forced to rue his decision to bat on a green SCG pitch as Pakistan skittled Australia for a meagre 127 on day one of the second Test.

It was Australia’s fourth lowest tally against Pakistan and lowest in Sydney for 16 years.

Ponting himself proved a casualty of what many saw as a captaincy blunder when he was dismissed for a first-ball duck, flicking hesitantly off his hip.

Batsman Michael Hussey said he had joked with Ponting before the game that his captain had batted once on a pitch in Johannesburg that had “branches growing out of it”.

“So I didn’t think he would bowl first on any pitch in the world,” said Hussey, “and I think that was proved again today.”

Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif, banned for most of 2009 for using steroids, finished with a career-best 6-41 after Mohammad Sami had ripped through Australia’s top order to claim 3-27.

Both bowlers were on hat-tricks at different stages.

Rubbing salt into Ponting’s wounds was the fact that Sami was a 28-year-old discard who had not played a Test for two years.

He was recalled despite an unimpressive record of 81 wickets in 33 Tests at over 51 runs apiece.

But he found the green pitch, grey clouds and damp, humid conditions much to his liking, and must have thanked his lucky stars that Ponting gave Pakistan the ball.

Sami claimed the scalps of Ponting and recalled opener Phil Hughes, both for ducks, and first Test centurion Shane Watson for six, to have Australia on the ropes at 3-10.

Australia, leading the three-Test series 1-0, staggered to 7-67 at tea after persistent drizzle washed out the first session.

Only a tail-end revival saved them from utter disaster.

Pakistan was 0-14 in reply when bad light forced an early end to a stunning opening day for the visitors.

© AAP 2012

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