Australia made two early breakthroughs before Pakistan edged slowly to 2-50 at lunch on day one of the first Test in Dubai on Wednesday.
Mitchell Johnson struck in the first over after crashing a yorker into Mohammad Hafeez’s foot.
The right-hander was given out and made the dubious decision to call for a video review which showed the ball would have hit middle stump.
His fellow opener Ahmed Shehzad lost his leg stump to Peter Siddle with the team’s total on seven.
Azhar on 22 drove a wide ball from Johnson to point where Chris Rogers grassed the chance.
Younis Khan (14 not out) and Azhar (24) have added 43 for the third wicket after Pakistan had won the toss in hot conditions on a dry-looking pitch which is set to play very low and slow as the match wears on.
Both sides named bowling attacks featuring two frontline spinners and two quicks.
The Australians were high on emotion before play after including two debutants in their side.
Former Test vice-captain Geoff Marsh presented his son Mitchell, 23, with his baggy green cap in a touching moment.
NSW spinner Steve O’Keefe, 29, received his cap from ex-Test batsman Dean Jones as the team huddled around the new boys in an on-field ceremony.
Geoff Marsh also presented son Shaun with his baggy green cap for his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2011.
It’s the first instance of a father-and-two-sons having played Test cricket for Australia. New Zealand’s Hadlee family and India’s Armanaths have also achieved the feat.
“It was quite tough, really,” proud father Marsh told reporters.
“It was a real honour to be asked to do it.”
Marsh said he was pleased for both his boys, Mitchell and Shaun.
“They followed me around while I was playing Test cricket and coaching Australia,” Marsh said.
“Deep down you could see it in their eyes they wanted to follow in those footsteps and now they’ve both been given that opportunity.”
The Australian team wore black armbands as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam who died on Tuesday.
Pakistan’s bowling attack of pacemen Rahat Ali and Imran Khan and spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah have played eight Tests between them.
Legspinner Yasir and pace bowler Imran are on debut.
