Pakistan are not only staring down the barrel of a series whitewash but also in danger of a total tour wipeout.
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As former Australian skipper Ian Chappell slammed Pakistan for not sacking the out-of-form Misbah, the visitors endured another torrid day in the middle – this time with the ball.
Pakistan will be doing well to avoid a 12th consecutive Test defeat on these shores and their sixth loss in a row since November. In fact, it's hard to see Pakistan beating Australia at all this tour. After this Test comes a five-game one-day series against the world champions, who are extremely difficult to beat at home. The 50-over version is also Pakistan's weakest format, in which they are ranked a lowly eighth.
While positives could be drawn from the defeats in Brisbane and Melbourne, it would have been hard for coach Mickey Arthur to draw any heart from his team's insipid display.
The effect of the short break between Tests was magnified for Pakistan when they lost the toss. Flogged early by David Warner, they were given the Paul Keating treatment by Matt Renshaw, who did them slowly over six and a half hours.
Wahab Riaz was the best of the Pakistan quicks with two wickets but the rest of the attack leaked too many runs. Wahab was critical of the quicks as a unit, particularly their "foolish" bowling to Warner.
"Everybody knows Warner is an attacking player, we know where he's really, really strong," Wahab Riaz said.
![Long day: Pakistan's Mohammad Amir, right, polishes the ball as his captain Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq walks past.](/web/20170105213115im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/g/4/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtlczs.png/1483431101332.jpg)
"As a bowling unit if we keep making those mistakes and make him play through his strong areas, we look foolish."
Pakistan were also let down by some shoddy fielding. Misbah's schoolboy error in the first few overs, where he let a ball go between his legs, left coach Arthur exasperated.
It was hardly the response the 42-year-old would have wanted after copping a stinging bake from Chappell over his decision to play on in Sydney.
"This business that it's 'up to Misbah' whether he wants to play or not – that's rubbish – it's up to the selectors," Chappell said. "Is Misbah good enough to be in the cricket team? No, not at the moment. His captaincy is very ordinary and his batting is horrible – he should have been out. Particularly in a dead series. The man's 42 – give somebody who you think has got a bit of a future in the game a match at the SCG and find out something about them.
"But this business of waiting to see when Misbah wants to retire – rubbish – sack him if he's not good enough."