Hazlewood explains slow start to the opening Test

Under new protocols outlined by the International Cricket Council recently, host nations are being encouraged to afford touring teams every courtesy in their preparation for matches in the hope the gap between results gained at home and away might reduce.

That was certainly cited as a reason why Pakistan tackled a near-international strength Australia A outfit at Perth Stadium as warm-up for the Domain Test Series that got underway in Brisbane on Thursday.

But there might also be a case for taking a more strategic approach to the home-grown players’ preliminaries if the evidence tendered by Australia's fast bowlers after day one against Pakistan at the Gabba becomes a recurrent theme.

Australia finished the summer's first Test day notionally in front, having dismissed Pakistan for 240 on the dot of stumps after skipper Tim Paine lost the toss and his troops were consigned to the field.

While that score would appear sub-par given the average first innings total in Tests at the Gabba over the past decade has been around 360, there was a hint of worry that things had gone awry when Pakistan's openers negotiated the first session without losing a wicket.

That unease might have compounded with the knowledge that no previous visiting Test team has achieved that feat when batting first-up against Australia at the venue, and there was consensus among the local quicks as to a root cause for their lack of early penetration.

Josh Hazlewood, who shared the new ball with his New South Wales teammate Mitchell Starc ahead of fellow Blues' paceman Pat Cummins, pointed to the trio's pre-Test Marsh Sheffield Shield outing against Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

So lifeless was the SCG strip for that fixture, the world's top-ranked Test batter Steve Smith lamented he was simply unable to score because the ball simply "died" when struck in front of the wicket, where a ring of fielders added to the degree of difficulty.

Hazlewood revealed at the close of play on Thursday that the all-Blues pace attack found a similar challenge in adjusting the lengths they should bowl on the faster, bouncier Gabba strip where they turned out for their first match since their home Shield appearance.

"We probably bowled too short, on the majority, especially in the first hour," Hazlewood said after returning 2-46 from his 20 overs on day one.

"All three of us played at the SCG last week, and it was the exact opposite conditions if that makes sense.

"We got better as the day went on … and I thought we strangled them to a degree in that first session.

"And while that scoreboard wasn't moving, we didn't feel too much pressure.

"We thought that if we could get a couple (of wickets), we could get three or four in a row, which we did.

"So I think that strangle mindset was certainly in effect out there in that first session.

“There's a little bit to work on, but it was a pretty good comeback I thought."

The fourth specialist bowler in Australia's battery, another New South Welshman Nathan Lyon, lauded his colleagues for the way they altered their plans and execution immediately after the lunch break.

That proved the day's decisive stanza, as Pakistan slumped from 0-75 to 4-79 having lost four wickets in the space of 39 balls to the Australia pace trio.

"Our quicks were exceptional today," Lyon told cricket.com.au post-play.

"The way they adapted and fixed up their lines and lengths from the first session was great.

"And just their work ethic.

"Their preparations have been outstanding, and to have all of them in the one side, it's pretty special."

The "strangle" mentality to which Hazlewood referred was a cornerstone of Australia's Ashes quest, which saw them retain the Ashes in a drawn 2-2 series with England earlier this year.

In the past, Australia's pace bowlers have headed to the UK with plans to bowl in the same aggressive, wicket-hunting manner that brings them success in Australia, only to find it enables their Ashes rivals to pile on pressure via the scoreboard.

By taking a more conservative approach into their 2019 campaign, and rotating personnel including Victoria quicks James Pattinson and Peter Siddle through the playing roster, Australia were able to pile pressure on their rivals, which proved crucial to the outcome.

Despite playing a solitary Test on that tour, Starc looks to have gleaned the most from that new strategy, with a slightly modified bowling action designed to increase his economy while not detracting from his pace and swing.

That was evident during the wicketless first session on Thursday when, even though the ball was not swinging under the Brisbane sun and Pakistan's opening pair refused to play expansive shots, Starc did not go straining for wickets and kept the flow of runs down.

His first session return of 0-19 from eight overs indicated the control he was able to exert, and his reward came at the end of the day when he returned with second new-ball in hand to scythe through Pakistan's tail.

"He's great with the new ball, and when it gets old he can do his tricks as well," Hazlewood said of his pace partner, who finished the day with 4-52.

"He's pretty confident at any ground here, but in England he probably added another string to his bow with his control and if it's not quite happening laterally through the air then he can just maintain that pressure as well.

"I think we saw that through the first session.

"Then, if the second new ball equals bowling to the tail at that time of day, when it's a little bit darker he's one of the best at hitting the stumps, swinging it back down the line and bowling a pretty good bouncer as well.

"It's pretty intimidating stuff."

Domain Test Series v Pakistan

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Azhar Ali (c), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan Snr, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah.

First Test: November 21-25, Gabba (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Second Test: November 29 – December 3, Adelaide (d/n) (Seven, Fox & Kayo)