Скачать или смотреть England run into impressive Mitchell Johnson | Jarrod Kimber's Ashes Report: 1st Test, Day 2

Australia's sense of invulnerability at the Gabba has been underlined for a quarter of a century. It is the ground at which they feel all things are possible, all ailments can be cured. But even Australia, vigorously rediscovering their belief on the ground where they have long reigned supreme, must have reflected that England's traumatised batting provided a helping hand

England's ability to micro-manage every aspect of their preparation has been well chronicled, but they have yet to fathom why their batsmen repeatedly perform so inadequately at the start of overseas series. Once again, they succumbed according to tradition, in perfectly good batting conditions, too, as Australia wrested a first-innings lead of 159 that at the start of the day must have been beyond their wildest dreams.

If Australia's batting was flaky, England's calamitous afternoon was something to behold. Six England wickets fell after lunch for nine runs in a startling 58-ball phase as Australia, who were seemingly under pressure after lodging a none-too-impressive 295 on first innings, inspired a feverish response from a Brisbane crowd suddenly convinced that they can claim victory in the opening Test.

This Ashes series is well and truly alive. The opposite may have been intimated 24 hours ago. It is good news for those hoping for a compelling series. In Ryan Harris, Australia have a bullish fast bowler full of late-career wisdom, capable if his fitness holds of troubling England throughout the series; his 3 for 28 dried up England like a desert wind. In Mitchell Johnson, currently sporting a Movember moustache that gives him the look of an Italian artist, they have a flighty fast-bowling talent who is no longer living on the dark side of the moon; four wickets and plenty of hostility testified to that.

England made only 39 runs in the session: the nine runs they scrambled from fourth to eighth wicket down representing their second-lowest return, outdone only by the six runs they scored against West Indies in 1954. Beyond Michael Carberry's 40, a sound innings which ran out of steam, and a few late blows by Stuart Broad, they could show little of merit.