Australia produced the second highest run chase in ODI cricket at the Gabba to win the opening match of their series with Pakistan.

Cameron White smashed 105 to help the hosts reach a target of 275 with five wickets and nine balls to spare under the floodlights in Brisbane.

Michael Clarke weighed in with 58 before being run out, the vice-captain sharing a crucial stand of 102 after Australia had slipped to 84-3.

Pakistan had earlier been bowled out for 274, opener Salman Butt top-scoring with 72 while Shahid Afridi made a rapid 48 from just 26 deliveries.

However the duo's efforts ended up being in a lost cause, as White produced a sublime display of power hitting to see his side to the cusp of victory.

The Victorian ended up hitting eight fours and four sixes - three of them coming from successive deliveries off spinner Saeed Ajmal - after rebuilding the chase with Clarke for company.

Their fourth-wicket alliance came at the perfect time for Australia after the hosts had struggled for momentum in the opening overs of their reply.

Shane Watson managed just five before falling to teenage sensation Mohammad Aamer, while opening partner Shaun Marsh fell for 15.

An out-of-sorts Ricky Ponting struggled for timing, facing 47 balls for his 27 runs. His painful progress was eventually ended by Afridi in the 18th over.

White, though, had no such problems finding the middle of the bat and looked set to see the job through until he was bowled looking to hit Naved-ul-Hasan away to leg.

It was left to Michael Hussey to get Australia over the line, the left-hander belting the winning runs over cover to finish up unbeaten on 35. Brad Haddin was alongside him on seven not out.

Their target would have been even greater had Pakistan not lost their way in the middle overs following a solid start provided by Butt's half-century.

Kamran Akmal made a run-a-ball 34 in an opening partnership of 62 but at one stage the tourists slipped to 227-7, when Clint Mackay (3-61) removed Younus Khan, who made 46 on his return, and Aamer in the same over.

Umar Akmal (23) and Shoaib Malik (28) had provided useful contributions but it was Afridi who picked up the pace with some lusty blows late on.

The big-hitting all-rounder had crashed three sixes but perished looking for a fourth, Watson getting him caught out at deep mid-wicket on his way to impressive figures of 4-36.

Pakistan will look to level the five-match series when the two sides meet again in another day-nighter at Sydney on Sunday.