Australia began play at 187–3 after a rain-affected opening day, with David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith in overcast conditions conducive to seam bowling after Pakistan won the toss and elected to field.
But Labuschagne was a rock, scoring 44 off 120 balls overnight.
He stood with head on nine in the sunlight and signaled Australia’s intent to keep the scoreboard moving by hitting a four off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over.
The explosive head dismissed Hasan Ali with his very first ball and then quickly got into form with the second ball in the same over.