Australia captain Pat Cummins took 5/61 for his third consecutive five-wicket haul as Pakistan’s brittle top-order was again exposed before a combative lower-order rally helped the tourists to 313 on Day I of the third Test.

At 96/5 shortly after lunch on Wednesday, Pakistan were in grave danger of being bundled out cheaply after they elected to bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

But an enterprising counterattack led by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan with a brisk 88, followed by a half-century from Agha Salman and a stunning maiden Test half-century by Aamer Jamal (82 off 97 balls, including nine boundaries and four sixes) helped Pakistan to a respectable total.

Australian opening pair David Warner, playing his final Test, and Usman Khawaja had to survive one over from spinner Sajid Khan under fading light before stumps.

Much of the pre-match attention may have been on Warner’s last Test but it was the pacers who stole the spotlight early.

Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates with teammates after dismissing Mohammad Rizwan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Getty Images

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood set the tone by taking a wicket each in the first two overs, before Cummins, coming off a 10-wicket haul in the Boxing Day Test, snared two wickets, including the prize scalp of Babar Azam.

Starc (2/75) struck with the second ball, teasing Shafique into an uncontrolled swipe, while Hazlewood (1/65) struck in the next over taking Test rookie Saim Ayub.

From 4/2, Babar and Shan Masood started the rebuild for Pakistan, before Cummins removed Babar for 26.

Rizwan then went on the attack and made an enterprising half-century off 74 balls. He continued to play his shots but eventually holed out to Hazlewood as Cummins brought himself back into the attack to take his third wicket.

“If you look back at all the best bowlers in the history of cricket, they’ve always had that in them — the ability to come on and take a wicket when the team needs to,” Marsh said of Cummins’ uncanny knack of choosing the right time to bowl. “I think the best part about Patty is that he always finds a way for us.”

The Aussie skipper got his fourth when he had Sajid caught at midwicket by Nathan Lyon for 15 and a deserved fifth shortly after with Hasan Ali (0) picking out Starc in the deep.