Australia lost the big wicket of David Warner as England applied pressure after collapsing to 302 all out on the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on Friday.
The tourists, who lost their last six wickets before lunch, had the Australians on the ropes with three batsmen out in the middle session, including the prized scalp of Warner.
Advertisement
At tea, Australia were 76 for three off 24 overs, with skipper Steve Smith on 19 and Peter Handscomb on 14.
Smith was Australia’s big hope and under pressure for a high score after Australia suffered a familiar batting order malfunction.
Captain Joe Root had his plans for Smith and tried to pin the Australian captain down with an encircling field.
Warner attempted to pull newcomer Jake Ball through the leg-side only to find Dawid Malan at short mid-wicket for 26 off 43 balls.
That left the Australians on a shaky 59 for three after the dismissals of debutant opener Cameron Bancroft and the misfiring Usman Khawaja.
Bancroft lasted 19 balls in his first Test before he edged a Stuart Broad lifter outside off-stump for five in the fourth over.
Bancroft forced his way into the Test side at the expense of Matthew Renshaw on the weight of prolific scores in the Sheffield Shield for Western Australia, including an unbeaten 228.
Khawaja was deceived by Moeen Ali’s spin playing forward and fell leg before wicket for 11, leaving the Australians 30 for two in the 11th over.
Earlier, England lost six wickets for 56 to fold for 302 all out in their first innings at lunch.
The tourists were looking solid in an 83-run partnership between Dawid Malan and Moeen before Malan’s dismissal triggered a clatter of wickets.
Root’s team tumbled from 246 for four to be all out with fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins each taking three wickets and spinner Nathan Lyon two.
Malan, the Middlesex left-hander, hit 11 fours in his third Test fifty off 130 balls in his first Ashes Test before he top-edged a Starc lifter and was caught by Shaun Marsh at deep square leg for 56.
Seven balls later, in the 104th over, Lyon removed all- rounder Moeen leg before wicket for 38, with the dismissal confirmed on review.
Lyon, who was proving a handful with his drift and turn, struck again with the first ball of his next over, bowling Chris Woakes for a duck.
Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow followed shortly afterwards for nine, as he dollied Cummins to Tim Paine for the gloveman’s first catch after seven years in the Test wilderness.
Jake Ball smacked three fours before he was snapped up by a diving Warner at leg slip off Starc for 14, and Broad was dropped by Marsh before he went for 20 to an outfield catch by Handscomb.
Starc finished with bowling figures of three for 77, Cummins took three for 85 and Lyon two for 78.