Young paceman Mitchell Starc claimed a career-best haul of 5-42 as Australia’s quicks ran through Pakistan for a total of 198 in Tuesday’s opening one-day international.

James Pattinson bowled tailender Saeed Ajmal to end the innings at the start of the 46th over to finish with the excellent figures of 3-19 from 9.1 overs.

But it the was the in-form Starc, who picked up four wickets in last weekend’s ODI win over Afghanistan in Sharjah, who led the way.

Mitchell Johnson and medium-pacer Dan Christian took one wicket each as Australia’s pace attack did the damage, with spinner Glenn Maxwell (0-27 off four overs) having little impact.

Asad Shafiq (56) and Umar Akmal (52) both scored half-centuries before falling to big attempted cover-drives.

Mohammad Hafeez (four) chipped a slower ball from Pattinson to short cover at 1-20 and Azhar Ali (five) fell in Pattinson’s next over, caught at mid-on.

Nasir Jamshed (23) fended a short ball to a diving Matthew Wade behind the stumps off Starc’s bowling in the 10th over.

Captain Misbahul Haq hit only one boundary in his 26 and was bowled by Christian via an inside edge at 4-99 adding 59 with Shafiq.

Shafiq looked in good form but tried to drive Starc through cover and was bowled with the score on 160.

Starc claimed the key wickets of Kamran Akmal (four) and Shahid Afridi (duck) four overs later, with skipper Michael Clarke taking a fine catch at slip to remove Afridi.

The 22-year-old Starc soon followed up with the dismissal of Umar Akmal (52), who was caught at cover at 8-180.

Johnson and Pattinson picked up late wickets as Australia’s pace gamble paid off on a lifeless, white-looking Sharjah pitch.

Clarke and David Hussey bowled five tidy overs of spin for 17 runs.

The three-game series includes matches in Abu Dhabi on Friday and the final game in Sharjah next Monday.