AUS v PAK 1st Test: Smith and Handscomb centuries take Australia forward

Brisbane: Peter Handscomb posted his maiden century in his second test, remaining steady on 103 as the Pakistan attack rallied on Friday to take four wickets and reduce Australia to 377-7 at the first interval on day two of the series-opening match.

The 25-year-old Handscomb, one of three young batsmen rushed into an international debut last month after Australia had surrendered a series against South Africa following two heavy defeats, batted conservatively to get to 91 and then went on the attack to reach triple figures with a lofted six over long-on and a square driven boundary just before the interval.

He had been unbeaten on 64 overnight and kept accumulating steadily on day two of the day-night test, with his hundred coming off 227 balls.

Handscomb shared a 176-run fourth-wicket stand with Steve Smith before the Australian skipper finally ran out of luck, caught behind for 130 after being dropped twice and feathering a catch to the wicketkeeper that wasn't appealed by Pakistan on the opening night.

His dismissal sparked a collapse of 4 wickets for 31 as the Australians slipped from 232-3 to 354-7 after resuming on the second day at 288-3.

The Australian batsmen contributed to their own undoing as Wahab Riaz (3-66) and Mohammad Amir (3-78) took two wickets each in the session.

Smith was out slashing at a Wahab Riaz ball that was angling across him, adding just one run after he was dropped at long-off by Mohammad Amir off Yasir Shah's bowling. The Australian captain stepped down the pitch and lofted a drive into the outfield, and Amir got two hands on the ball before it bobbled out, hit him on the shoulder and hit the ground.

Nic Maddinson (1), who was out for a four-ball duck in his maiden test innings in Adelaide last month, had a reprieve before he'd scored when Pakistan put down a regulation chance at short leg off Shah's bowling, but didn't settle and was soon out edging Wahab behind.

Amir had both Matt Wade (7) and Mitch Starc (10) out edging from poor shots.

Smith had been dropped on 53 and was on 97 on Thursday when his faint nick to Amir in the first over with the new ball escaped the notice of the Pakistan fielders, who didn't appeal.

"I was very surprised. It was pretty loud, obviously I was on 97, there was a bit going on in the crowd," Smith explained in a radio interview after his eventual dismissal. "But yeah, I did nick it, and no one went up so I wasn't going to walk.

"It was a bit bizarre that nothing actually came of it .... I guess you've got to take the good with the bad."