Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Pakistan newcomer Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar exposed Australia's vulnerability against spinners by reducing the visitors to 282-8 at tea on the third day of the first test on Friday.
Resuming at the overnight 113-0, Australia lost four wickets before lunch and another four in the second session to still trail by 172 runs after Pakistan scored 454.
Mitchell Johnson was unbeaten on 22 while Steve O'Keefe was hanging on 4 at tea. Opening batsman David Warner (133) thwarted the spin challenge in scoring his third successive test century, but the rest of his teammates were tamed on the slow pitch.
Legspinner Shah, 2-55, removed Steven Smith for 22 just before lunch, and clean-bowled Warner with a sharp turner in the first over after lunch. Warner scored centuries at Cape Town in his last test against South Africa in March, but was more circumspect as the wickets started falling around him.
He faced 174 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes in his more than 4 1/2-hour knock, before Shah made the ball turn through the rough while bowling round the wicket.
Pakistan's other debutant, fast bowler Imran Khan, was rewarded with his first wicket when he knocked back Brad Haddin's offstump in his first over with the second new ball as Australia plunged to 249-6.
Mitchell Marsh's father, Geoff, who also played international cricket for Australia, cheered from the stands when he saw his son successfully overturn a caught behind decision on 26 off fast bowler Rahat Ali, but was not lucky a run later when Babar won an lbw decision through Decision Review System.
Peter Siddle was next to go, lbw to Mohammad Hafeez's offspin for a four-ball duck at 267-8. In the absence of suspended star Saeed Ajmal, the spinners tied down the Australians, and even the free-flowing Warner.
Warner completed his century off 128 balls with eight fours and a six when he hit his first boundary of the day in the 18th over by driving Khan through extra cover.
Alex Doolan (5) took 16 deliveries to score his first run before his shaky 34-ball innings ended when he failed to beat Ali's direct throw from mid on and was just short of his crease at the non-striker's end.
Babar cut short Michael Clarke's return to international cricket from a hamstring injury, as he set a leg trap for the Australia captain and had him caught bat and pad on 2. Australia slipped to 3-158.
Warner cut loose briefly and raised Australia's 200 by driving and cutting Hafeez for two successive boundaries, then Shah struck in the penultimate over before lunch.
Steven Smith (22) was shaping up well but chased a wide Shah delivery to be comfortably caught by Hafeez at point.
