Steve Harmison scythed through Pakistan's batting to complete a six-wicket haul and put England in control of the first day of the second Test on Thursday.
After Pakistan were dismissed for 119 halfway through the afternoon, England reached 168 for two in reply by the close of a sun-baked day, with Alastair Cook 65 not out and Kevin Pietersen on 38.
Harmison's hostile performance -- six for 19 off 13 overs after the touring side had opted to bat on a pitch expected to favour the batsmen -- dominated the day.
His figures were the second-best of his career, while Pakistan`s paltry total was the lowest first-innings total in a Test at Old Trafford since the first game against Australia in 1884.
Relishing the fast, rock-hard surface, the lanky Durham strike bowler removed both openers with just nine runs on the board to start the rot.
But the touring side played almost as big a role in their own demise, continuing to go for extravagant shots on a pitch offering some sideways movement. They had also tried to prepare for Harmison's lifters by using a slab of marble in the nets to try and replicate his unusual bounce. On Thursday, though, the fast bowler pitched the ball up with devastating effect.
The last eight Pakistan wickets folded in 14 overs, and for 29 runs, in a performance that bore no resemblance to the team's defiant batting in the drawn first Test at Lord`s. The innings lasted just 38.4 overs.
The key phase of play came in four overs either side of lunch, during which four wickets -- including those of vice-captain Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq -- fell for three runs. One minute it was 90 for two and suddenly it was 93 for six.
PAKISTAN COLLAPSE
Yousuf's dismissal, for a silky 38, sparked the collapse after he and Younis had put on 81 without much alarm for the third wicket.
Yousuf, who made a double century of the highest quality in the opening Test, had hit six fours when he looked to glide left-arm spinner Monty Panesar's fourth ball towards third man, instead feathering a catch behind to Geraint Jones.
Three balls later, and in the final over of the session, Younis slashed wildly and inexplicably at a short ball from Harmison and was well caught in the gully by Paul Collingwood. Younis's top score of 44 was one of only three in double figures.
That made it 93 for four at lunch and Panesar struck again five balls into the afternoon when Faisal Iqbal was caught behind, rashly attempting to cut off a ball which bounced. Panesar finished with three for 21.
Pakistan's fate was sealed when Inzamam fended a vicious Harrison lifter to gully without scoring. His departure ended his extraordinary record against England. He had passed 50 in each of his previous nine Test innings against them, a run which also included three centuries.
The worst shot of the innings came from Shahid Afridi. Having just hit Panesar for a straight six, he was drawn into a wild slog which ballooned up in the air and into Pietersen's hands at point.
England lost Marcus Trescothick cheaply but Cook and Strauss (42) put on 65 for the second wicket before the home captain edged Abdul Razzaq behind.
The two best shots of the day came from Cook, replica cover drives off leg spinner Danish Kaneria. Pietersen, meanwhile, was providing.some attacking strokes of his own that will never be included in a cricket textbook.
One, again off Kaneria, appeared to begin as a sweep heading for mid-wicket but then, halfway through, somehow metamorphosed into a flat-bat drive through the covers for four.
Harmison's best Test figures, seven for 12, came against West Indies in Jamaica in March, 2004.
