Khawaja, Smith help Australia recover after Afridi's early strikes

:Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith struck resilient fifties to help Australia recover from two early strikes by fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the deciding third and final test against Pakistan in Lahore on Monday.

The 21-year-old Afridi struck twice in his second over, dismissing opener David Warner for seven and number three Marnus Labuschagne before he had scored, reducing Australia to 8-2.

Khawaja and Smith steadied Australia's innings with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 137, taking them to 145 for two at tea on the opening day after the touring side won the toss.

Khawaja was unbeaten on 69, continuing his rich vein of form to add to scores of 97, 160 and 44 not out in his last three innings.

Smith, Australia's batting mainstay, was 58 not out after completing his third successive half-century as the hosts went wicketless in the second session.

The first two tests of the series - the first between the sides in Pakistan since 1998 - were drawn.

With Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium hosting a test match for the first time since the 2009 attack by gunmen on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team, left-armer Afridi gave local fans reason to cheer with the two early wickets.

Australia could have been in even deeper trouble but Pakistan failed to capitalise on chances offered by Khawaja and Smith.

Looking to dominate left-arm spinner Nauman Ali from the onset, Khawaja, on 12, flashed hard at a full-pitched delivery but the edge flew under the hands of Babar Azam in the lone slip position.

On the next delivery, Nauman failed to hold on to a straightforward return catch from Smith, who was on 19.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Peter Rutherford and Ed Osmond)