Grassy pitch offers hope for tourists

Butt top-scored with 71 as the visitors progressed to 331-9 and a lead of 204 during another eventful day of Test cricket.

And while Butt, Mohammad Yousuf (46) and Umar Akmal (49) all made batting look easy on the unusually grassy Sydney wicket, the stylish left-hander insists conditions still heavily favour of the bowlers.

"They've been tough throughout these two days and I think the pitch might change slightly but not that much," Butt said. "It's one of those where you're never settled and you're never in. The time you think that you're in and suddenly the ball does something, so you've got to have a good laugh about it and stay relaxed because it's not under your control.

"Definitely this pitch is not going to change completely. It's not going to become a batting paradise.

But while the opener was eager to put doubt in his opponents' minds, local paceman Doug Bollinger, who led a late fightback which saw the hosts take 7-141 after tea, reckons the wicket is becoming placid and insisted the hosts were capable of turning things around.

"It's doing a bit with the new ball obviously but when it's not swinging or anything it's a good place to bat as you saw with the Pakistan openers," said Bollinger, who claimed 3-70.

"I think just try and get the last wicket early and then get our batting hats on to give us something to bowl to in the second innings."