SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja moved toward his first century in more than a year, captain Steve Smith surpassed 6,000th test runs and Australia reached 193-2 at stumps, 153 runs behind England after the second day of the fifth Ashes test.
After some big hitting by the lower order helped England reach a competitive 346 earlier Friday, Australia had an early set back before half-centuries by David Warner and then Usman Khawaja helped place their team strongly in its push for a 4-0 series victory.
Australia went through Friday's last session without losing another wicket and had Khawaja, nearing his first test century since November 2016, unbeaten on 91. Smith contributed an unbeaten 44 to the 107-run third-wicket stand.
Khawaja struggled early to find any rhythm, particularly against spinners Moeen Ali and Mason Crane but survived to raise his 50 off 107 balls just after tea with a six straight down the ground off Ali.
Shortly after, Smith tallied his 6,000th test run in his 111th innings, joined West Indies great Garfield Sobers as the second fastest to reach the mark. Only Don Bradman reached 6,000 runs quicker, from just 68 innings.
England resumed at 233-5 and lost its last specialist batsman, Dawid Malan (62), early in the morning session to a spectacular one-handed catch by Smith at the second slip of Mitchell Starc (2-80).
Australia spurned easy opportunities to thwart England's rally, including two dropped catches in the space of four balls to give both Curran (39) and Moeen Ali (30) reprieves.
Ali's second chance was brief, however, with Cummins (4-86) having the all-rounder caught behind soon after to leave England at 294-7.
Broad and Curran, playing just his second test, combined to guide England past 300 and kept swinging the bat in an entertaining 41-run partnership before Curran popped a catch to Bancroft at short leg off Cummins.
Broad made 31 off 32 balls with a boundary and two sixes before mistiming a sweep shot to be caught by Smith off Lyon (1-86).
Mason Crane was the last wicket to fall, run out in his test debut, just minutes before the scheduled lunch interval.
After lunch, seamer Broad (1-28) bowled opener Bancroft for a duck with his second ball, but Australia responded with Warner scoring his third half-century of the series as part of an 85-run partnership with Khawaja to steady the innings.
As Australia appeared to be gaining a strong grip on the contest, Jimmy Anderson (1-25) struck minutes before tea to have Warner caught behind for 56 off 104 balls, with five boundaries.
Australia won the first three tests convincingly to regain the Ashes, and the fourth test was drawn last week in Melbourne.