AUSTRALIA has made an encouraging start to its unlikely bid to avoid defeat in the Boxing Day Test, conceding only one wicket in the first two hours of its second innings at the MCG. By tea the home team had reduced England’s lead from 415 runs to 320. It will start the third session on 1-95, with opener Shane Watson on 50 and captain Ricky Ponting on 19.

The major disappointment for Australia out of the day is paceman Ryan Harris suffering a suspected stress-fracture in his left ankle. With the injury expected to require surgery, it will likely rule the burly 31-year-old out of the series - and possibly also the 50-over World Cup starting in February.

While there was already significant pressure on Watson to perform because of Australia’s parlous position in the match, he increased it by running out his partner Phillip Hughes for 23 after inexplicably calling for a risky single in the 12th over of the innings.

Ponting needed 15 deliveries to get off the mark but barring two confident appeals against him from Jimmy Anderson in the 18th over he has looked capable of snapping his form slump.

For England, Tim Bresnan has proved almost impossible to score off, conceding only five runs from seven overs and new-ball pacemen Anderson and Chris Tremlett - the latter, in particular - have looked capable of getting more movement on the MCG drop-in pitch than the Australians did.

The sunny conditions at the MCG should, however, be conducive to great batting conditions. Watson proved this by bringing up his half-century in the last over before tea. Earlier, Peter Siddle’s second six-wicket haul of the series, his first at his home ground, and two late wickets to Ben Hilfenhaus ended the visitors’ first innings on 513. While the home team was able to claim 5-69 today it again had no answer for Jonathan Trott, who deservedly finished unbeaten on 168.

Victorian Siddle broke through in the sixth over of the day after suckering Matt Prior to lob a catch to under-fire captain Ricky Ponting at mid-on for 85. Prior’s replacement, bowling all-rounder Bresnan, made only four before misjudging a ball from Siddle that seamed into him, giving wicketkeeper Brad Haddin an easy catch.

In between, Australia suffered a significant blow when in-form paceman Harris pulled up sharply while running into bowl and was immediately forced from the field. He may bat if required but the period for which he will be sidelined will not be known until he consults a specialist.

The only time England’s robust lead looked likely to kick on this morning came when Graeme Swann joined Trott. The pair competently handled the Australian bowlers and punished Mitchell Johnson, belting 31 runs off his four-over spell. Their partnership ended on 43 when Swann aimed an ambitious pull shot from a Hilfenhaus bouncer that was passing outside off-stump and got a top-edge that was athletically taken behind by Haddin.

England’s last two batsmen, Tremlett and Anderson, added only five runs between them before they were comprehensively bowled - Tremlett by Hilfenhaus for 4, Anderson by Siddle for 1. Trott, by failing to give up his wicket, now holds the extraordinary average of 100.83 mid-way through his fifth Test against Australia.