A fiery spell of pace bowling by Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris dismissed England for 136 to give Australia a 159-run first-innings lead on day two of the first Ashes Test here Friday.
Pacers Johnson (4/61), Harris (3/21) and Peter Siddle (1/24) picked up eight wickets between themselves while spinner Nathan Lyon chipped in with two.
By stumps, Australia got to an overall lead of 224 as openers David Warner (45) Chris Rogers (15) returned unseparated with 65 on board.
Australia started the day 273 for eight and added 22 runs before their innings folded for 295. Vice-captain and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin missed an Ashes century by six runs.
All was progressing to plan for England an hour after lunch but six wickets for nine runs in a 53-minute period turned the match on its head.
From 82 for three, the visitors were reduced to 91 for eight. Such was the carnage that after the top four batsman only Stuart Broad (32) got into the double figures.
Michael Carberry, 33, playing only his second Test (his first being against Bangladesh in 2010) was the only top order batsman to put up a fight. His patient 40 off 113 balls vigil was breached courtesy Johnson's pace and bounce from round the wicket as he fended a catch to second slip.
England look to be in massive trouble and will have to do something special to win or even draw at a ground where Australia have not lost since 1988.