General Ricky Ponting joined elite company while deputy Adam Gilchrist broke new ground as the dashing left-hander unleashed his own scorched earth policy to edge Australia closer to a series whitewash over Pakistan.

Ponting (207) joined Don Bradman and Greg Chappell as the only Australians to make four Test double centuries while Gilchrist scored his 13th ton, the most centuries in Test history by a gloveman.

The Tasmanian run machine's eight-hour innings against Pakistan was a slow burner to Gilchrist's blistering century at the SCG as Australia charged to a first innings lead of 264 after making 568 in reply to Pakistan's 304.

Pakistan was 1-67 in its second innings at stumps on day three, needing another 197 runs to make the hosts bat again with Yasir Hameed (40no) and Younis Khan (5no) at the crease.

Opener Salman Butt (21) failed to back up his maiden Test century in the first innings, edging Stuart MacGill's (1-14) first ball of the innings to slip to give the NSW spinner his sixth scalp of the match.

Ponting, 30, earlier made his first trip into triple figures in over a year more than worthwhile by registering his fourth double ton in two years.

However, he was largely nonplussed about his place in the history books.

"I am not a great thinker about the game and that is probably a good thing," Ponting said.

He said he would spend the night watching television programme "Australia's next top model" with his wife and the conversation would definitely not be about his day job.

"I will go home tonight and I have a wife at home who does not talk much about cricket which is always nice," he said.

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