Alastair Cook departed for a painstaking 51 as Australia seized the initiative in the fourth Ashes test Friday, reducing England to 155-4 by tea on the opening day.
Jonathan Trott (49) and Kevin Pietersen (26) were the other wickets to fall after lunch, both removed by offspinner Nathan Lyon after helping up the run-rate following a stodgy morning session.
Captain Cook was far more circumspect as he ground his way to a 32nd test half-century off 153 balls, before misjudging an inswinging delivery from Ashes debutant Jackson Bird and finding himself trapped lbw.
Australia, needing a victory to keep alive hopes of drawing the series, relied on the much-criticized Hot Spot to make the early breakthrough as Joe Root departed for 16 after edging behind.
Scoreboard
Alastair Cook lbw Bird 51
Joe Root c Haddin b Watson 16
Jonathan Trott c Khawaja b Lyon 49
Kevin Pietersen c Haddin b Lyon 26
Ian Bell not out 6
Jonny Bairstow not out 0
Extras- (1b, 1lb, 2w, 3nb) 7
TOTAL- (for 4 wickets) 155
Overs- 55.
Fall of wickets- 1—34, 2—107, 3—149, 4—153.
Still to bat- Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson.
Bowling- Ryan Harris 11—1—37—0 (2nb), Jackson Bird 16—8—31—1, Shane Watson 10—4—20—1 (2w), Peter Siddle 11—2—37—0 (2nb), Nathan Lyon 7—2—28—2.
Australia- David Warner, Chris Rogers, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke (captain), Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon.
Toss- England.
Series- England leads 2—0.
Umpires- Aleem Dar, Pakistan, and Tony Hill, New Zealand.
Third umpire Marais Erasmus, South Africa. Match referee- Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka.