Usman Khawaja fell short of a century as Australia reached 5-232 on day one of the third and final Test against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan will be the happier of the two sides after losing the toss and being asked to bowl.
Yet, despite taking more wickets on the first day than in any of the other two Test matches in the series, the hosts were still left ruing a number of missed chances throughout a sluggish, but intriguing day's play.
Lahore was hosting its first Test match since 2009 and the hosts gave those in attendance plenty to shout about with a superb start.
Having won the toss, Australian skipper Pat Cummins would have expected his batters to dig in for a long spell of batting on what looked like a very flat pitch.
However, Shaheen Shah Afridi had other ideas, knocking over David Warner (7) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) in the space of two balls in the third over to leave the tourists reeling on 2-8.
Warner was trapped in front by a perfect looping inswinger to depart for 7 before Labuschagne drove at a ball that just moved away off to the seam to depart for a duck, sending the limited number of supporters at the Gaddafi Stadium wild.
Khawaja (91) and Smith (59) combined for a 138-run partnership stabilised Australia, with the pair looking relatively untroubled against the wearing ball on another placid pitch, albeit one that showed some low bounce as the day progressed.
Pakistan struggled to create chances through spinners Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali during the middle overs of the day, neither of whom where able to extract anything other than slow turn for large periods of play.
Nauman though, saw two chances go begging off his first over, dropping a sharp return catch off Smith and seeing a genuine edge from Khawaja pass through the legs of Babar Azam at first slip.
Pakistan had their tails up, but Smith set out his stall immediately, carving his fourth ball to the cover boundary with an exquisite drive - one of many sublime strokes that punctuated his innings.
However, when Naseem Shah trapped Smith lbw with some brilliant reverse swing bowling, Australia looked vulnerable owing to their slow run rate.
Khawaja then fell to a brilliant catch by the skipper Babar Azam off the bowling of Sajid Khan, falling just nine runs short of what would have been a deserved hundred.
Travis Head (26) played with positivity but was caught behind by another superb piece of reverse swing by 19-year-old Naseem, whose accuracy troubled Australia's batters throughout and delayed the taking of the second new ball.
Cameron Green (20) and Alex Carey (6) survived some prodigious reverse swing with the old ball and a five-over burst with the second new ball late in the day.
Both will have to bat long in order for Australia to avoid squandering the advantage of batting first on a pitch that appears likely to wear severely as the game goes on.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
Live updates
By Simon Smale
Close: Australia 5-232 (Alex Carey 8 off 15, Cameron Green 20 off 48)
So an interesting day and probably not the score Australia were expecting having won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a very flat pitch.
Pakistan would have been buoyed by the fact that there was reverse swing late in the day, but will be kicking themselves that they did not take all of their chances to have Australia in real trouble.
It was still very much Pakistan's day, but this pitch should excite all of Australia's bowlers, should the degradation continue at its current rate.
I'll be back tomorrow for another thrilling day of Test cricket, I look forward to having you join me then.
Audience comment by El Scotto
Maybe signs of life in this pitch? Hopefully it's not still cement on day 5 again.
By Simon Smale
88th over - Last one of the day, Shaheen to bowl it
Short, Carey helps it on its way down to fine leg for one.
Green gets a decent stride in and punches into the off side for no run.
Green defends the next few balls but then squeezes the ball away square for two runs.
Audience comment by Mike
Shaheen, Shaheen, - Please don't take our Cam just because you can. (sorry)
Audience comment by Ted
Thank goodness for Ussie again. Why has he been over looked so much in the past. Well batted again
By Simon Smale
87th over - Hasan Ali is going to have another go before the close
Well defended by Green first up.
BIG APPEAL! Looked like it was going down to be honest... There's no review. Rizwan was still pleading with the umpire after the DRS timer had expired, so Babar grabbed him around the shoulder in an embrace and encouraged him back to his mark with a hug. What a lovely moment, very sweet as the pair of teammates walked back arm in arm.
Green punches the ball down the ground for a couple, he looks in great touch early on, Green.
DRIVEN! Oh my word what a shot, that's magnificent from Cameron Green, a good stride, a neat little push and it rockets across the outfield for four.
By Simon Smale
86th over - Shaheen, left arm over to Carey
Carey digs the first couple out off his off stump.
Carey drives but Imam-ul-Haq dives in the covers to make a very good stop and save runs.
Oh lovely shot, a big stride and fine cover drive along the ground to the boundary.
Shorter to finish, but well handled by Carey, who gets a quiet earful from Shaheen in the follow through.
By Simon Smale
Having some regrets about betting on the draw. Hows the weather?
-Chris
Mid to low 30's and sunny all week, I'm afraid.
By Simon Smale
85th over - Naseem will get one over at least with the new cherry
Green fends into the off side, no run.
Outside off, no movement in the air, so problem for Green. Has the new ball somewhat blunted Naseem's potency?
Nope, beautiful delivery from Naseem, who forces Green into jamming his bat down on one that keeps low and was angled in.
Green now stands stoically and defends well.
A bit uppish, Green got the bottom hand away and slapped that ball into the covers for a couple.
Green now has to stand tall to defend a ball arrowing in on his off stump. Again, no ball movement in the air.
By Simon Smale
84th over - Shaheen Shah Afridi with the new ball!
Ah well, what do I know. The new ball is taken and Carey fends it into the on side.
Did that keep low? Shaheen, over the wicket, angling the ball in to Carey who just has to jam his bat down on it.
Yeah it was keeping low, because that ball did the same thing, less dramatic this time though as Carey keeps the ball out.
Driven beautifully by Carey, but no run as Imam-ul-Haq fields at wide mid off.
Oh that's nicer, and gets runs, a flick off his pads to midwicket for two.
By Simon Smale
83rd over - Naseem Shah again, still with the old ball
Alex Carey, yet to score, yet to face a ball, defends his first.
That second new ball has been long forgotten by the way, the reverse swing doing the business for Pakistan.
Carey punches into the covers, a slight misfield but it will only be one run.
EDGED! There's movement away from Green outside off but his edge flies away to third man for four!
Now there's two slips, the ball is moving around so why not? Green pushes away from his body but makes good contact, no real swing that time though.
Now he gets one to angle in with late, prodigious swing. Well bowled, well defended by Green.
Another one angles in and Green, who wanted to cut, ends up bottom edging it away. It was a good ball and shows just why Pakistan has not taken the second new ball yet. If this one is reversing, why not?
By Simon Smale
83rd over - Naseem Shah again, still with the old ball
Alex Carey, yet to score, yet to face a ball, defends his first.
That second new ball has been long forgotten by the way, the reverse swing doing the business for Pakistan.
Carey punches into the covers, a slight misfield but it will only be one run.
By Simon Smale
82nd over - Shaheen Shah Afridi is back
Green fends back down the pitch, then plays a nice shot out to cover, where it is fielded for no run.
Green is so massive that he looks almost imposing as he crouches over his bat, fending a straight one away.
Well left, the ball just down that corridor of uncertainty at fifth stump outside off.
Green fends the last away into the off side.
Well played.
By Simon Smale
OUT! TRAVIS HEAD CAUGHT BEHIND! NASEEM SHAH HAS HIS WICKET!
Oh that's a big wicket, a big, big wicket.
It was wonderfully set up by Naseem Shah, using the reverse swing like an old pro to set the Aussie number five up with some wicked inswingers and then get one to just move away and flick the edge on the way through to Rizwan who takes another good catch falling to his left.
Head goes for 26 off 70, Australia 5-206.
By Simon Smale
81st over - Naseem Shah still has the old ball in his mitt...
There does not appear to be much in the way of reverse swing and Green gets a single.
Head now slaps at a wide one at 140kph - still good pace from the teenager - and gets a couple of runs.
There might still be a little bit of movement, a bit of wobble for that wide delivery and now some swing in to Travis Head, who defends off his pads.
Oh another good delivery angled in, the ball reverse swinging into Travis Head and failing to get up as much as Head would have expected too.
By Simon Smale
80th over - Nauman to bowl the last before the second new ball
Green on strike, and Green off strike, a push into the on side and a quick single to challenge the arm of the man at long on rushing in.
Head defends a couple, using his feet to get to the pitch of the ball.
Head waits on a fuller ball and gets another easy single down to that outlet zone at long on.
Straight back to Nauman from Green, with Nauman then flicking the ball back onto the stumps to see if Head had strayed out of his crease. He hadn't.
Green gets a single to keep the strike.
Here comes the second new ball.
By Simon Smale
Would the number of edges be good signs for the Aussie bowlers?
-Jeremy
I think so. But with the lack of carry with the older ball, it could make things difficult.
By Simon Smale
79th over - Naseem Shah is being thrown the ball...
This is interesting, presumably he's being given an over to loosen up and to see whether this ball will keep low or reverse still.
EDGED! Through the vacant second/third slip region! Oh wow! There have been so few edges carry, but that did, and would have been right in the breadbasket. Big chance.
Pakistan have had chances, that's the thing, but they've not taken them.
Four! Head gets a little tickle on a ball that flies down the leg side, with Rizwan unable to get across.
By Simon Smale
78th over - Nauman to continue
Three overs until the new ball is available, by the way.
Green is forward, hunched over his toy-sized bat and fending back down the pitch with a massive stride.
Now he pushes into the midwicket area for no run.
Green is forward again, hunched over protectively as he gets his bat forward.
Now a step or two and a push back to the bowler, Green scampers back as Nauman fields.
Green leans back and pushes off the back foot square for a couple. Too short from Nauman, well dispatched.
Arrowed in a bit faster after Nauman saw Green shimmy as if to take a step or two, but he stopped himself and fends the ball away.
