First Test: Australia make a solid start in chasing down Pakistan's big first innings' lead

Australia were 113-0 at stumps on day two of the first Test chasing Pakistan’s 454, a deficit of 341 runs with three days remaining in Dubai.

Opener David Warner smashed a quickfire 75 not out, hitting seven fours and a six to record his eighth Test half-century, and Chris Rogers was unbeaten on 31 as Australia made a solid start to their reply.

Pakistan could have removed Rogers on 13 in left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar's first over but Younis Khan failed to hold a straightforward catch in the slips.

Warner reverse swept debutant leg-spinner Yasir Shah for his fifth boundary to reach a run-a-ball 50. 

Pakistan had added 235 runs after resuming on their overnight score of 219-4 with Sarfraz Ahmed, Misbah-ul Haq and Asad Shafiq all coming good on a flat pitch which offered little for the bowlers.

Safraz added an important 124 runs for the sixth wicket with Asad Shafiq (89) to build the innings after the latter had already added 93 with skipper Misbah, who made 69.

The 27-year-old, who scored his first hundred in Sri Lanka two months ago, fell in the last over before tea, stumped off spinner Nathan Lyon for 109 having batted for 148 minutes and struck 14 boundaries.

Hundred

He had made it through to three figures off just 80 balls, hitting paceman Mitchell Marsh over the slips to bring up the fourth-fastest century by a Pakistan player.

Misbah, under pressure to score after managing just 67 runs in the 2-0 Test defeat in Sri Lanka two months ago, hit two fours and two sixes during his 255-minute stay at the crease.

Lyon was unlucky not to have dismissed Shafiq off the first ball of the day's second over when Alex Doolan failed to catch a bat-pad push at forward short-leg.

Misbah, who was on 34 overnight, reached his first half-century in nine innings with a push for a single and then launched an attack, hitting Lyon for a six over long-on. He also hit Smith over the rope but perished trying to play one shot too many, holing out in the deep.

Shafiq fell short of his hundred by 11 runs as he was dismissed by Steve O'Keefe, in the process becoming the left-armer's first Test wicket, after hitting five fours and two sixes during his 151-ball stay.

Johnson (3-39) led a hapless Australian attack with left-arm spinner O'Keefe struggling to take 2-107 while Lyon toiled hard for 1-148 in 36.4 overs.