Josh Tongue led the charge as England enjoyed a dominant start to the Boxing Day Ashes Test in Melbourne.
The urn has already gone after three consecutive defeats but the embattled tourists suggested they still had some fight left as they reduced the hosts to 72 for four front of 90,000 fans at the MCG.
The recalled Gus Atkinson drew first blood when he removed in-form Travis Head in the seventh over, before Tongue seized the game with a brilliant three-wicket burst.
Taking over from the misfiring Brydon Carse at the Shane Warne Stand End, Tongue delivered an eight-over spell of three for 24, with Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and captain Steve Smith all falling victim.
At lunch, with Australia anchored by a pedestrian scoring rate, England were able to reflect on their best session since the opening day of the series in Perth.
Ben Stokes won the toss and made first use of a green-tinged pitch that promised plenty for the seamers but Carse’s ongoing struggles for accuracy hampered England’s new-ball plans. When his third over was plundered for 15, the travelling support may have been fearing the worst, but Atkinson was about to get his reward for his own tidier start.
Head, who by Australia’s admission has indulged more than most in the Ashes-winning celebrations, looked to free his arms outside off but did not have sufficient room and only succeeded in dragging down his stumps for 12.
Tongue entered the fray and made himself known immediately, his second ball snaking around Weatherald’s front pad as the left-hander flicked behind to Jamie Smith.
Labuschagne was next, edging Tongue just in front of the cordon before being beaten even more decisively with the next ball. Offering an angled bat to a full, seaming delivery he was snapped up by Joe Root at first slip.
The obstinate Smith was now England’s prime concern and he gave every indication that he was set in to frustrate them, only to be blown away by a beauty from Tongue. Attacking the stumps he jagged one hard back into the right hander and detonated middle to leave Australia’s stand-in skipper momentarily perplexed.
It continued Tongue’s impressive record in his head-to-head with Smith, who he has now removed three times in Ashes cricket and once in the County Championship.
Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey saw Australia through to the break but have plenty more still to do to build a competitive score.
