Brisbane: England’s Stuart Broad hit back at booing fans with a devastating five-wicket haul on Thursday but Brad Haddin’s fighting knock kept Australian hopes alive in a compelling start to the Ashes series.
Wicketkeeper Haddin and Mitchell Johnson came to the rescue after Broad, loud boos ringing in his ears at Brisbane’s Gabba ground, ripped through Australia’s top order on day one.
The pair combined in a counter-punching 114-run stand for the seventh wicket before the outstanding Broad bowled Johnson (64) with the second new ball for his fifth wicket of the innings.
Just before stumps, Australia lost another wicket when Peter Siddle was caught in the slips for seven off James Anderson.
At the close, Australia were 273 for eight and well short of what skipper Michael Clarke would have expected after winning the toss, with Haddin unbeaten on 78 and Ryan Harris not out four.
It was Haddin’s 13th Test half-century as runs came easily in the last session. Johnson racked up his eighth Test 50 with a booming boundary before Broad had the last word.
If not for Haddin and Johnson’s fightback, Australia would have been in a parlous state after Broad had struck twice in the morning session and twice more after lunch to have the home side teetering at 132 for six.
Broad, who was vilified in the build-up for not walking at a key moment during the recent Ashes Tests in England, revelled in his bad-boy role.
The boos rang out when Broad, branded a “smug Pommy cheat” by a local newspaper, stepped up to bowl but he quickly snared opener Chris Rogers for one in his second over.
Broad also accounted for Shane Watson (22) just before lunch, and he then took the prized scalp of Australian skipper Clarke in the second over after the first break.
Kevin Pietersen, who has had more than a colourful career with several ups and downs, celebrated his 100th Test for England by catching Aussie opener David Warner for 49 as the batsman drove lazily off a short ball from Broad. (AFP)
SCORECARD
Australia 1st inn:
C Rogers c Bell b Broad 1
D Warner c Pietersen b Broad 49
S Watson c Swann b Broad 22
M Clarke c Bell b Broad 1
S Smith c Cook b Tremlett 31
G Bailey c Cook b Anderson 3
B Haddin not out 78
M Johnson b Broad 64
P Siddle c Cook b Anderson 7
R Harris not out 4
Extras: (lb-11, w-1, nb-1) 13
Total: (8 wkts; 90 overs) 273
FOW: 1-12, 2-71, 3-73, 4-83, 5-100, 6-132, 7-246, 8-265
Bowling: Anderson 22-5-61-2, Broad 20-3-65-5, Tremlett 19-3-51-1, Swann 26-4-80-0, Root 3-1-5-0