Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh came to the rescue with an unbroken stand of 89 for the fifth wicket to leave Australia trailing England by 137 runs at stumps on day two of the first Ashes Test.
Here's a summary of Friday's action from the Gabba:
THE HEADLINES
- Dawid Malan follows the lead of James Vince and Mark Stoneman with a half-century of his own (56), but England loses 6/56 to be all out for 302 after being 246/4.
- Mitchell Starc (3-77) and Pat Cummins (3-85) took three wickets apiece, while Nathan Lyon claimed 2-78 - dismissing Moeen Ali for 38 to end a fifth-wicket stand of 83 between him and Malan.
- Australia slumped to 76-4 in reply, but captain Smith (64 not out) and surprise selection Marsh (44no) guided it to 165-4 at close of play.
- James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Moeen and Jake Ball took a wicket apiece, debutant Cameron Bancroft was the first wicket to fall.
Day two report: Australia fights back to share spoils at stumps
MOMENT OF THE DAY
Australia will have been counting on big runs from David Warner at the top of the order, but after getting off to a start, this southpaw threw his wicket away in trying to muscle a short delivery from Ball.
OPTA FACTS
- Australia has won only one Ashes Test at the Gabba after conceding a first-innings lead batting second (1990-91).
- England has lost only once at the Gabba when scoring at least 300 in their first innings. That was in 2002-03, when they made 325.
- All three of Jake Ball's Test wickets have been top three batsmen (Azhar Ali, Cheteshwar Pujara and Warner).
REACTION
"Every batsman has come back in and said they're not sure what a good score is here - if we get Australia to 180-6 then 300 is a good score," England's leading Test wicket-taker Anderson told Test Match Special.
Australia paceman Starc told BT Sport: "It was not the ideal start with the bat, but they dug in, faced a lot of balls and gave us something to build on. It's a nice partnership and gives us something to build on."
Injury scare: A suspected cut knee for Starc
LOOK OUT FOR…
Smith and Marsh looked comfortable in improving conditions and Australia will need them to carry on from where they left off. If England is unable to make early inroads, they could be facing a first-innings deficit after such a promising start with the ball.
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