Gilchrist crashed 113 off 120 balls, his 13th Test century in 65 Tests whizzing off 109 balls, to accelerate the Aussies out of reach of the beleaguered tourists with a first innings of 568, a 264-run lead and two days left to play.

Skipper Ponting joined Don Bradman and Greg Chappell in an exclusive club as the only Australian batsmen to score four double Test centuries as he accumulated 207 in over eight hours, but it was Gilchrist's fireworks that set the SCG crowd alight.

Gilchrist underlined his reputation as world cricket's foremost entertainer with a spectacular hitting display that crushed the spirits of the hapless Pakistan bowlers.

The swashbuckling wicket-keeper, promoted to number six from his usual number seven place in the batting order, pounded 14 fours and five sixes in 139 pulsating minutes to have the home fans roaring with delight.

Gilchrist resumed on 17 and plundered 88 runs off 75 balls to reach his quickfire century Tuesday.

Pakistan reached stumps at 67 for one with Yasir Hameed on 40 and Younis Khan not out five and needing a further 198 runs to make Australia bat again in a seeming lost cause.

The tourists lost first-innings centurion Salman Butt for 21 in the 10th over when leg-spinner Stuart MacGill struck with the first ball of his opening over having him caught at first slip by Warne.

Gilchrist almost brought up his memorable century with three consecutive sixes off nonplussed paceman Mohammad Asif, but his last hit took a bounce just inside the boundary ropes.

He perished going for another extravagant shot, stumped off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, ending a 153-run fifth-wicket stand with Ponting of which he contributed the lion's share of 113.

Gilchrist has scored centuries against all the other nine Test-playing nations, with the exception of Bangladesh. The sweet-hitting left-hander has amassed 4,109 runs at a Test average of 52.67.

Ponting registered the highest score by an Australian against Pakistan in a SCG Test when he passed Greg Chappell's 182.

He was bowled by Navedul Hasan when he played on in the 125th over of the innings leaving Australia 529 for six. He cracked 30 boundaries off 332 balls.

Kaneria claimed 7-188 off 49.3 overs with three of his victims, Damien Martyn (67), Michael Clarke (35) and Gilchrist all stumped off his bowling.

It was the third time in Tests the wrist-spinner had captured seven wickets in an innings following his 7-77 against Bangladesh and 7-118 against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan had some successes towards the end of Australia's 554-minute innings taking the last five wickets for 39.

Kaneria picked up debutant Shane Watson (31), Glenn McGrath (9) and Shane Warne (16), while paceman Naved claimed Ponting and Jason Gillespie (0) to finish with 3-107 off 26 overs.

The third day's play got under way at 1:30 pm (0230 GMT) after rain washed out the entire morning session but play was extended with a total of 70 overs bowled.

Australia are in line for their third straight victory over Pakistan inside four days after huge victories in the Perth (491 runs) and Melbourne (nine wickets) Tests.