However, before Smith and Khawja helped the team overcome an early wobble, it was the bowlers who set up the day for Australia. Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon picked up three wickets each while Mitchell Starc and Steve O'Keefe bagged two apiece.
Hazlewood praised the bowling unit for being patient and sticking to the plan. "The way we started was brilliant," he said. "I thought we were quite patient and bowled the usual great lines and lengths.
"Starc wasn't at his best but he's still very lethal. The spinners bowled well on that wicket that offered them up and down bounce. We made the most out of that wicket and hopefully we'll do that in the second innings as well."
A total of 12 wickets fell in the 54.2 overs bowled in the day for 183 runs. The nature of first day's track came as a surprise to the Australian pacer. "The wicket was a bit tacky. I don't think it spun too much as well. It was just inconsistent," he pointed out. "That wicket doesn't look like anything we've played on before in any part of the world. It's international cricket, you've got to play everywhere and play the conditions.
Adapting to conditions is going to be crucial for us."
However, Hazlewood brushed aside any complacency that might have crept in after a clinical performance on the first day. The pacer acknowledged that the first innings runs are going to be crucial but felt the performance with the ball will help them dominate throughout the series.
"The spinners are going to come into it a lot more. They've got some quality spinners so first innings runs are going to be crucial," he said. "We don't know too much about these guys. We haven't played a lot against them. We've worked out a few little things here and there and we are going to pursue those plans throughout the whole series.
"Anything you can get on the opposition is crucial. If you can get on top of them on the first morning of the Test series, it does open up a few scars for the back end of the tour."
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