Mitchell Starc swings momentum Australia's way as Pakistan stumble at the Gabba

• PAK 240 all out

An extraordinary debut day for Pakistan's 16-year-old Naseem Shah began with an emotional presentation of his first Test cap and proceeded with him chiselling out a hat-trick ball from Mitchell Starc on a helpful pitch at the Gabba. His contribution ended with him fending at a short ball and giving Mitchell Starc a return catch to conclude Pakistan's innings at 240 and play for the the first day of the series.

Naseem's selection made the fast bowler the youngest player to make his Test debut in Australia and happened little more than a week after his mother's death in Pakistan. Naseem wiped away the tears after Waqar Younis presented him with his green cap before the start of play on Thursday.

When Azhar Ali won the toss and elected to bat, it seemed likely Naseem's involvement on day one of the two-test series would be limited. But after five wickets fell in the second session, and Starc took two wickets in successive deliveries later in the day from the first over with the new ball, Naseem walked to the crease with Pakistan in serious trouble at 227 for eight and struggling to survive until stumps.

Starc had bowled Yasir Shah for 26 and had Shaheen Shah Afridi caught behind for a golden duck and Naseem knew to expect a blisteringly quick inswinging yorker. He managed to get bat on ball, squeezing an inside edge away to the legside and took off for a quick single, hoping to register his first run in Test cricket.

But Asad Shafiq sent him back, not wanting to expose the youngster immediately to Pat Cummins potentially for a full over. That protective instinct cost Shafiq, his 134-ball innings ending when he was bowled four balls later by Cummins for 76. It was the third Pakistan wicket to fall with the total at 227.

Naseem got off the mark and even hit a Starc full-toss to the boundary in putting on 13 for the last wicket with Imran Khan before he was finally out for seven.

Test cricket will enjoy a first glimpse of his strongest suit when he gets ball in hand on Friday morning. Australia's quicks set a good example for him, combining for nine of the 10 wickets to fall. Starc, who played only one Test of the Ashes series, took four for 52, Cummins three for 60 and Hazlewood two for 46.

Pakistan made it to lunch unscathed but although Australia failed to make a breakthrough, Hazlewood said they were confident if they strangled the runs in the first session, restricting the tourists to 57, one or two wickets would precipitate a collapse. And that is precisely what happened.

Openers Azhar (39) and Shan Masood (27) put on 75 before Cummins had the latter caught at second slip by Steve Smith, triggering a Pakistan slide of four wickets for three runs. From the second ball of the next over, Hazlewood had Azhar well caught at first slip by Joe Burns, who reached forward to grab an excellent low catch.

Australia's trio of fast bowlers had bowled too short in the first session but pitched it further up after the interval, earning their reward by forcing the batsmen to play at the ball. Haris Sohail scored one run in 26 minutes before he was caught behind off Starc in the 39th over and five balls later Pakistan were reduced to 78 for four when Babar Azam, who made 99 in his last Test innings against Australia, slashed extravagantly at Hazlewood and edged to Burns at slip.

Nathan Lyon bowled four overs in the first session and returned for a second spell in the 46th over, dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed, caught at bat-pad for seven. Pakistan had lost five wickets for 19 runs and were staring into the abyss. But Shafiq dug in and built two partnerships to pull them, at least partially, out of the mire. He added 49 for the sixth wicket before Mohammad Rizwan was contentiously caught behind off what appeared to be a no-ball for 37. Replays appeared to show that Cummins had no part of his foot behind the crease when he delivered the ball, and it could easily have been deemed not out. But the TV umpire decided there was not enough evidence to reprieve Rizwan. Shafiq said Pakistan just had to accept it and move on.

He and Yasir Shah continued together in an 84-run stand in 27 overs before the home side took the new ball in the 80th over, and Starc swung the momentum back Australia's way.