McGrath will have to be quick to get to 400

Glenn McGrath will have to be quick if wants to become the eighth bowler in Test history to grab 400 wickets when Australia winds up its series against Pakistan in Sharjah.

McGrath is currently on 396 and another standard performance in the third Test will take him into the 400-club alongside Courtney Walsh, team-mate Shane Warne, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram and Curtly Ambrose.

"To get 400 wickets would be an amazing achievement and one that I'd be very proud of reaching," McGrath said.

"It's a pretty decent milestone and it would be nice to get there this Test," McGrath said.

"But if we keep playing like we did in the last Test I'll have to be quick to get the wickets early because I might only get one bowl."

McGrath bowled just 13 overs in the second Test, taking three wickets as Australia humbled Pakistan for scores of 59 and 53 to win by an innings and 198 runs.

In the second innings he got in just one spell of six overs and wasn't needed again as Shane Warne, Andy Bichel and Brett Lee wrapped up proceedings.

McGrath echoed the comments of captain Steve Waugh in saying he didn't get a great deal of joy from such a lopsided win - except that it meant less time out in the Sharjah sun.

"It's probably another record set by an Australian team to knock a team over so cheaply but you'd rather go out and play a good hard contest and work for your wickets - the other day, to be honest, that was too easy.

"They didn't really guts it out in the middle the way Matt Hayden did.

"But considering the conditions we weren't too worried about it at the time."

That didn't stop McGrath wishing for another quick finish when the third Test starts on Saturday, the reward this time being the possibility on an early flight home.

"Who knows, if we finish a couple of days early we might be able to go home early as well - so there's that added an incentive."

He said Australia was determined to win the series 3-0.

"If we have a very decisive win it will be a true reading of how the series has gone.

"It'll be interesting to see how they bounce back - it'll be pretty tough to come back from a hiding like that.

"They've really got their work cut out. We'll stick to our game plan and see if they offer any more fight this time."

Since the two days of the second Test, where temperatures in the middle of the field reached 50 degrees, the weather has become a little milder and the forecast for the third Test is for temperatures in the high-30s.

In other news, Pakistan has called up all-rounder Shahid Afridi to replace the injured Abdur Razzaq, who had his wrist broken by a Brett Lee delivery in the second Test.

Pakistan had hoped to bring back quality batsman Yousuf Youhana but he hasn't fully recovered from recent shoulder surgery.