Cricket: Zero to hero Ponting full of praise for his battlers

Peter Siddle (left) and Ricky Ponting celebrate Australia's remarkable comeback. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - It was a record-breaking day for Australian cricket and the home team's dressing room contained plenty of heroes, including century-maker Mike Hussey and match-winning spinner Nathan Hauritz.

But for captain Ricky Ponting, the moment of triumph came when he fronted the post-match press conference to explain how his team had beaten Pakistan in the second cricket test by 36 runs late on day four, despite getting bowled out for 127 on day one.

Ponting has been smashed in the media for batting first on a green-top pitch, but after setting Pakistan a target of 176 to win on Wednesday, the tourists collapsed to be all out for 139.

Suddenly Ponting was a genius skipper again, his reputation enhanced.

Ponting said the feeling even topped Australia's stirring victories in the Sydney tests against India in 2008 and South Africa last year.

The victory was only the third time Australia had won a test after being more than 200 or more runs behind on the first innings.

"This is the most satisfying one because I don't think anyone in the world apart from all the blokes inside our dressing room thought we could win," Ponting said.

"All of us in our change room felt if we could get 150 or just over that we were going to be right in the game."

Australia's fairytale win to claim an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series came after being in a desperate position at the start of day four. Australia resumed on Wednesday on 8-286, a lead of only 80.

Hussey hit a fighting 134, his 11th test century, in Australia's 381. The West Australian shared a ninth-wicket partnership of 123 with tailender Peter Siddle (38).

Hauritz did as a spinner should at the SCG, bowling his team to victory with 5-53, his second five-wicket haul in successive tests against Pakistan.

"It has been a pretty tough few days for not only me, the team. We felt that we underperformed a little bit on the first day," Ponting said.

"What we have seen on the news has probably just steeled us all a little bit, just made us want to fight the game out as much as we can and prove that we are never out of the contest. It comes down to results and we've got a great result here so I look like a genius where I didn't a couple of days ago."

Hauritz and Mitchell Johnson (3-27) both took two wickets in three deliveries to set the ball rolling for Australia.

Teenager Umar Akmal topscored with 49 but it was Hauritz's dismissal of Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf caught and bowled for 19 at 77 for four that turned the match.

Hauritz clutched the bullet-like chance to his chest, injuring his thumb and dropping to the pitch in agony. But he continued on and struck again two balls later.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin took nine catches in the match, two behind Englishman Jack Russell's world record.

- AAP