Australia were once again tormented by a fiesty last-wicket pair as Pakistan’s tail played them back into the third Test on Saturday.

Ricky Ponting was poised to enforce the follow-on at Bellerive Oval before his bowlers were unable to prise out tailenders Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif.

It’s the fourth time in the past six months Australia have been brought undone by tailenders, headed by Monty Panesar and Jimmy Anderson’s efforts to save the first Test of the Ashes series in Cardiff.

Tea was delayed as the Australians attacked the final Pakistani pair but they combined for a 53-run stand in an hour of frustration for the home side.

Simon Katich admitted plan A was thrown out the window by the counter-attacking efforts of Gul (38 not out) and Asif (a career-high 29).

“If we knocked them over pretty quickly there and had a lead of 270, 280 there would have been a pretty good chance we might have been back out there bowling,” he said.

“It’s always a frustration when you have a team eight or nine down and you sometimes expect the wickets down quickly, especially when you get on a roll.

“Credit to them, they both attacked at the right time and got off strike at the right time.”

The West Indies tail also wagged in Adelaide and Perth this summer to hold up Australia, but Katich pointed out it happens more often than the past, highlighted by Peter Siddle and Mike Hussey’s match-turning stand at the SCG last week.

“We saw it the other day with Sids and Huss batting it’s just the way it goes sometimes, if tailenders apply a game plan there’s no reason why they can’t hang around,” he said.

“Hopefully in the second innings that won’t be as big a drama for us.”

With some wet weather forecast for Hobart over the final two days, Ponting now faces an awkward decision with his declaration.

The Bellerive pitch is still ideal for batting and Katich felt Pakistan might believe their chance to bat last puts them back in the game.

“Sometimes down here the wicket does tend to get better and better and it still is good to bat on,” he said.

“(The declaration) will be based more on time (than runs) and it might be that Pakistan feel they are a chance of getting the runs.

“If both teams feel they can win the game there’s more chance it can draw a result out.”

© AAP 2012

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