A late flurry of wickets has Australia in the box seat after dismissing Pakistan for 240 runs on day one of the first Test at the Gabba.

State of play: Pakistan was dismissed for 240 after winning the toss and batting first

Pakistan was dismissed for 240 after winning the toss and batting first Mitchell Starc took 4-52 while Pat Cummins took 3-60

Mitchell Starc took 4-52 while Pat Cummins took 3-60 Asad Shafiq top scored with 76

Mitchell Starc's expert use of the second new ball late in the day meant he finished with 4-52, backing up a collapse of 4-3 in the middle session.

Pakistan openers Shan Masood (27) and Azhar Ali (39) had started steadily with a 75-run partnership, as the pair blunted Australia's attack in the first session.

The wicketless morning was the first time that Australia's bowlers had been denied up to lunch on an opening day at the Gabba, but the tourists' stability would be short lived.

A spree of wickets from the very start of the second session played in complete contrast, as first Pat Cummins (3-60) procured the breakthrough when Masood edged to the slips.

Azhar followed the next over as Josh Hazlewood (2-56) deceived the opener to produce another catch for Joe Burns in the cordon, before Haris Sohail edged to the keeper for just one run.

Josh Hazlewood had an early shout for LBW denied by the umpires. ( AAP: Darren England )

From 0-75, Pakistan was soon reeling at 4-78 as Babar Azam flashed a wild drive at Hazlewood's length delivery, with Burns claiming a second catch to complete the ugliest dismissal of the collapse of 4-3.

Spinner Nathan Lyon (1-40) got among the action as he removed Iftikhar Ahmed (7) as Pakistan found itself in alarming trouble at 5-94.

Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan produced the most proactive cricket of the day either side of the tea break when he cracked seven boundaries en route to 37 runs at better than a run a ball.

But proper respectability to the scorecard was provided by Asad Shafiq, who reached a serene half-century in the final session as Pakistan approached the threshold of 200 runs.

Nathan Lyon joined in the fun before tea. ( AP: Tertius Pickard )

Shafiq and Yasir Shah (26) combined for a 84-run partnership for the seventh wicket, before Shah's resistance was ended by Starc's wicket-shattering yorker.

But another flurry of wickets began when Starc removed Shaheen Shah Afridi first ball, edging to the keeper — which was eventually given out on review.

Naseem Shah, just 16 years of age, came out to face Starc on a hat-trick ball for his first involvement in Test cricket, and survived the examination, albeit with a streaky inside-edge.

Shafiq's resistance ended on 76 when Cummins rattled his middle stump from the other end, and Naseem's (7) innings was littered with expansive strokes for little result.

He did, however, score his first runs in the Test arena before Starc ended his stay with a caught and bowled.

Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blog.