CRICKET/Australia v Pakistan, first Test: Paceman Glenn McGrath recorded the second-best bowling figures by an Australian in test history to power the home team to a whopping 491-run win over Pakistan on the fourth morning of the first Test in Perth yesterday.

Resuming at 18 for one chasing an unlikely 564 for victory, Pakistan had no answer to McGrath, who took eight for 24 on a bouncy WACA pitch as the world's top-ranked side bowled out the tourists for 72 to claim a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The only Australian to better McGrath's performance was spinner Arthur Mailey, who picked up nine for 121 against England in Melbourne in 1920-21.

The victory by Australia was the fourth-highest winning runs margin in test cricket and Pakistan's innings was their fourth-lowest total in test history.

"The conditions are suited to fast bowlers, but (McGrath) was great, a match-winner," Australia captain Ricky Ponting told a news conference.

Pakistan lost their first wicket of the day when Salman Butt was caught in the gully by Matthew Hayden off McGrath for nine.

McGrath removed Younis Khan two overs later, snapped up by Shane Warne at first slip for 17.

Abdul Razzaq was then caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for one at the start of McGrath's ninth over to make the score 49 for four.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, forced to bat at number six after missing part of Australia's second innings because of illness and a back complaint, was then caught behind off McGrath for a first-ball duck.

McGrath had seven slips waiting but failed to make wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal play at the next ball outside off-stump, and the lanky New South Wales paceman was unable to achieve the hat-trick.

But Kamran was out for a duck in McGrath's 11th over when Michael Clarke held on to a sharp chance above his head at fourth slip.

Yousuf Youhana was surprised by a McGrath bouncer and was caught behind for 27, making the total 64 for seven.

Seamer Michael Kasprowicz then took two for four in 3.3 overs to ruin McGrath's chances of collecting all 10 wickets.

Introduced to the attack in the 26th over, Kasprowicz struck with his sixth ball, clean bowling Mohammad Sami for two.

McGrath grabbed his eighth victim when he had Shoaib Akhtar caught at mid-off by Darren Lehmann for one.

Kasprowicz then caught and bowled Mohammad Khalil for five in the final over before lunch to end a dismal batting display from the touring side.

The second test in Melbourne starts on December 26th.

Irfan Pathan triggered a stunning Bangladesh collapse to leave India on the verge of an innings victory in the second test for a 2-0 sweep of the series.

Mohammad Ashraful struck a national record 158 not out to bolster Bangladesh's first innings to 333 all out at tea on day three, falling eight runs short of the follow on target in reply to India's 540 all out.

Forced to follow on, left-arm Pathan then took the first five wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 118 for nine and leave the visitors on the verge of an innings win with two days left.

The 20-year-old Pathan returned figures of five for 32, his third five-wicket innings haul in a match.

The diminutive Ashraful, 20, had held centre stage until then, raising 115 runs for the fifth wicket with Aftab Ahmed (43) and marshalling the lower order with smaller partnerships.

India won the first test in Dhaka by an innings and 140 runs.