In a nutshell: Pakistan fight but Aussies on top

The scorecard: Pakistan 2-70 (Azhar 40no, Lyon 1-13) need 420 more runs to win

The day in a tweet: Two down, eight to go. Aussie bats blaze away before declaration leaves Pakistan needing 490 to win first Test #AUSvPAK

The heroes: The 111-run stand between Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja came from just 24 overs and was a delight to watch. Smith is in dazzling touch at the moment and he added 63 from 70 deliveries with what appeared from beyond the ropes to be consummate ease. His cat-and-mouse game with Misbah-ul-Haq was particularly enjoyable; at one point the Pakistani moved two short third men into position for Yasir Shah only to see his rival captain perfectly bisect the pair the very next ball and earn himself four.

Khawaja's cover driving off the leg-spinners was impeccable, the left-hander playing straight from the textbook as he registered his first half-century in nine innings against Asian opposition. He finished with 74 to continue his happy run of having passed fifty in every Test so far this summer.  

The dream run: No-one batted an eyelid when Peter Handscomb strode to the middle and breezily knocked up an unbeaten 35 from just 26 balls as the Aussies pursued quick runs with a declaration in mind. Handscomb already looks so assured and comfortable at Test level it's as if he's been in the side for years. Today's cameo, which included another couple of delicately carved boundaries through the third man region he favours, bumped his Test average up to 97.50. 

The no-win situation: Nic Maddinson hit a cracking straight pull shot from Wahab Riaz to register his first boundary in Test cricket but he was out the very next ball, caught in the deep as he looked to hook a short ball into the Gabba crowd. It brought his Test tally to five runs in three innings, but in truth he was a victim of circumstance as much as anything, forced to swing from the get-go as the declaration time loomed. 

The breakthrough: Nathan Lyon went wicket-less in the first innings and the Gabba crowd seemed more disappointed about that fact than even the man himself, so when he broke Pakistan's second-wicket stand in the final session, a huge roar reverberated around the venue. Lyon loves bowling in Brisbane and he was threatening from just about the first ball he bowled, getting extra bounce and occasional sharp spin to keep the batsmen guessing. He had Babar Azam playing and missing before finding the edge of his bat, with captain Smith doing the rest at first slip. 

The talking point: Once a declaration had been made, attention turned to whether Pakistan's batsmen would fold in the same spectacular manner they had some 24 hours earlier. But an expectant Brisbane crowd was silenced by some impressively stubborn resistance from the tourists' top order, led by Azhar Ali who soaked up plenty of Australian pressure and the majority of the deliveries as well. With rain forecast in the coming days, the visitors remain an outside chance of saving the Test, though it would take some deluge. 

The fighters: Azhar’s unbeaten 38 was exactly what his team needed, and while it may be too little too late in Brisbane, it will likely build the opener’s confidence ahead of Tests two and three in Melbourne and Sydney. At one point he cover-drove Jackson Bird for three fours in four deliveries, adding his own fight to the quality display put on in the morning session from Sarfraz Ahmed, who made a counter-punching 59 not out to frustrate the Australians. 

The trivia: Pakistan must defy history to win this one: the highest successful Test run chase at the Gabba is 7-236, made by Australia against West Indies in 1951. 

The controversy: Rahat Ali's run-out certainly raised eyebrows. The No.11 made his ground before David Warner hit his target from mid-off, however his bat bounced up off the turf so the question became whether he had gotten it back down before the zing bails lit up. The evidence appeared rather inconclusive, so it was with some surprise that the third umpire gave the batsman out. 

The shot: We'll call this one the 'upper-punch'. The ever-innovative Smith was 28 and facing Mohammad Amir when he picked up the shorter length in a flash and promptly smashed the ball forward of midwicket and to the fence.  

The wash-up: Smith and the Australians will be hoping the skies stay blue so they can close out this contest on day four, or at least that the storms forecast blow over the Gabba quickly. The home side has outplayed Pakistan quite comprehensively and deserve a one-nil lead heading into Christmas. 

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