Australia hammered home their advantage with the bat on day two, but it was fast bowling leader Peter Siddle who provided the crucial inspiration that the series can be saved at Old Trafford.
After declaring in a strong position at 7(dec)-527 shortly after tea, Australia were hungry for quick wickets.
They needed them desperately, with rain never far away in Manchester and victory their only option in the third Test at 2-0 down in the series.
England’s openers looked like they would see out the sustained pressure from Australia’s bowlers, until Siddle stood up to be counted taking 2-2 in 12 balls.
On a flat deck it was just what the doctor ordered for Australia, especially with fellow quick Ryan Harris struggling with illness.
At stumps England were 2-52, trailing by 475.
Siddle had Joe Root caught behind for 8, before the nightwatchman experiment failed for England, with Tim Bresnan out for 1 – thanks to a brilliant take by keeper Brad Haddin.
On another bizarre day for DRS, Australian batsman David Warner reviewed a ball he smashed, while Bresnan chose to walk despite not hitting the ball.
Alastair Cook (36 not out) and Jonathan Trott (2no) saw out the day, but not before some late drama which would have put Australia in complete control.
In the second last over Warner almost had Trott run out and could have done with Haddin standing behind the stumps to take the ball.
Then in the final over, Trott edged Siddle to second slip, only for the ball to fall fractionally short of Michael Clarke.
Spinner Nathan Lyon (0-21) made an outstanding start and was desperately unlucky not to get a wicket.
He had Cook under all sorts of pressure early, with a nick dropping agonisingly short of a diving Clarke.
Replacing Ashton Agar and going head-to-head with Graeme Swann who earlier took five for England, there was plenty for Lyon to live up to.
But his start was encouraging.
Shane Watson bowled five maidens, while Mitchell Starc (0-8) and Harris (0-12) supported well.
Siddle finished with 2-7 – the third time in three matches he’s stood up for his country in the crucial moment.
The Warner circus rolled back into town, but it couldn’t stop Australia from posting their highest score since the South African Tests last summer.
It was highest total England have had put on them in over a year and for the first time this series, they’re under the pump
Clarke made a brilliant 187 before Haddin (65 not out) and Starc (66no) picked up the pace to drive Australia’s advantage home.
Warner (5) given a damning send-off back to the dressing room by a fired-up capacity crowd after the Australian batsman made a less than auspicious return to Test cricket.
It was an embarrassing walk of shame for Warner, who wasted a DRS review challenging a Swann (5-159) delivery he’d clearly nicked.
It was Swann’s 17th five-wicket haul in 55 Tests.
Steve Smith combined in a ground record fourth-wicket partnership of 214 with Clarke but fell short of a maiden Test century, when he tried to smash Swann over the in-field and was caught for 89.
