Spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed a career-best seven for 55 as Pakistan dismissed England for 192 on day one of the first Test in Dubai.

England's top-order batsmen had no answer to the wily Ajmal and wicketkeeper Matt Prior's unbeaten 70 saved the visitors from further embarrassment.

Pakistan's openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar made it an even more painful opening day for England as they saw the hosts to 42 without loss at stumps.

Ajmal was a thorn in the England side from his first over to his last as he dismissed Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen with his first five balls and then removed Eoin Morgan, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett and James Anderson later in the day.

The 34-year-old's haul gave Misbah-ul-Haq's side the perfect start to the series after they lost the toss and were asked to bowl first on a track that did not offer too much spin, seam movement or swing.

Spin bowling, though, was always going to dominate as Pakistan selected both Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman with Hafeez also able to send down a few overs.

England, on the other hand, opted to play just the one spinner in Graeme Swann with Monty Panesar forced to stay on the sidelines.

And it was part-timer Hafeez - into the attack as early as the sixth over - who set the ball rolling for Pakistan as Cook edged one to the wicketkeeper after trying to cut a ball that was too close to him.

Trott followed him back to the dressing room in the 11th over after he was strangled down the leg side by Aizaz Cheema.

Ajmal then took over the show as he picked up three wickets inside his first two overs. Strauss was bowled after looking to pull a ball that was not short enough, Bell nicked to the keeper after playing the wrong line at the doosra and Pietersen was out lbw after pushing forward to a straight one.

Pietersen was given not out, but the decision was referred by Pakistan and replays showed it would have gone on to hit middle stump.

Prior and Morgan held Pakistan up, but the latter soon found himself out after failing to make contact with the ball with his attempted sweep. Morgan decided to review the lbw decision, but Hawk-eye ticked all three boxes and he departed for 24.

Six soon became seven with Broad also out lbw to give Ajmal his five-for.

Prior and Graeme Swann added some respectability to the total with a 57-run partnership, but once Rehman bowled the latter for four, it didn't take too long for Ajmal to wrap things up.

After Prior eased to his half-century from 119 balls, the spinner trapped both Tremlett and Anderson lbw to finish with the outstanding figures of seven for 55.