Jofra Archer sent the Australian dressing room into disarray immediately after lunch, sending Marnus Labuschagne (19) and Cameron Green (0) on their way in the space of just three balls.
Usman Khawaja, who reached lunch unbeaten on 41, watched from the non-striker’s end as the hosts fell to 4/94.
Khawaja, who was afforded a last gasp reprieve to his Test career this morning due to Steve Smith’s illness, and Alex Carey now has a big job ahead of them to revive the Australian innings.
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Labuschagne departed first ball of the second session, chipping a half-hearted cross bat shot to Brydon Carse at mid-wicket.
Australia’s No.3 looked assured before lunch but clearly did not switch on quick enough after the interval, with his tame dismissal drawing widespread ridicule.
“I honestly cannot believe what we have just seen,” former England bowler Alex Hartley said on BBC’s Test Match Special.
“That is the softest dismissal we have seen in this series so far.
“He has gifted England a wicket.
“Utterly shocking.”
Carse was in the game again two balls later, snaffling a far more difficult chance at forward square leg as Green’s clip off the pads sailed to his right.
Diving full length, Carse held on with both hands to send Green on his way for a second ball duck and hand Archer his third scalp of the day.
It was also the second time on the opening day that Australia had lost 2/0 after openers Jake Weatherald (18) and Travis Head (10) fell in the space of six balls.
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LUNCH REPORT
Australia has stabilised after a chaotic Wednesday morning to be 2/94 at lunch on day one in an even start to the third Test in Adelaide.
The hosts’ day got off to a horror start, with Steve Smith ruled out of the match at the 11th hour with symptoms inclusive of nausea and dizziness.
The stand-in captain walked across Adelaide Oval in dramatic scenes just 20 minutes before the coin toss, after a rollercoaster lead-up to the pre-Christmas fixture that ultimately saw him ruled out as Pat Cummins elected to bat.
Smith missed training on Monday with illness, however returned with bat in hand nets on Tuesday morning, seemingly removing any doubt over his spot in the side.
His eventual absence meant Usman Khawaja was handed the ultimate surprise reprieve, after initially being left out for the second straight match since his back spasms in Perth during the first Test.
Selectors at the last minute opted not to re-shake their batting order from the change, instead having Khawaja replace Smith at number four in a straight swap.
Jake Weatherald and Travis Head got Australia off to a very promising start, racing to 0/29 after their first six overs in ominous signs for the visitors.
The Aussie pair’s drop-and-run game was very strong early, particularly from Head as he constantly turned the strike over.
And while Jofra Archer, after strong criticism of his ball speed in Brisbane, was bashing a tough length at pace, his new-ball partner in Brydon Carse was once again wasteful early with the width he gave Australia.
The right-armer’s third over saw him concede three boundaries through the off-side, in a damning set of six deliveries that saw his own figures blow out to 0/24 off his first three overs.
Jofra gives daggers to Weatherald! | 00:41
Luckily for him though, Archer sent Weatherald packing soon after for 18 via a probing top edge that skied behind the wicket to Jamie Smith.
It was a somewhat ironic dismissal, with England’s first five overs the shortest on record by anyone at Adelaide Oval according to CricViz’ Ben Jones. In addition, just one ball from the Poms’ first seven overs would have gone on to hit the stumps.
A Zak Crawley stunner at cover-point the very next over ended Head’s morning on 10, with the English opener catching the wide half-volley in his left hand to dismiss the South Australian.
Unlike Carse, Archer was much tougher to be critical of, with his speed hitting 149.8km/h with his 11th ball of the match. The Barbados-born quick regularly tipped over the 145km/h mark on the speed gun.
Addition Josh Tongue brought genuine pace into the attack in place of Carse at the Riverbank end, hitting his own top speed of 148km/h in his opening two overs.
Khawaja was handed a chance on five after Harry Brook dropped an outside edge at second slip, diving to his right.
Salt in the wound came not long after for the Poms, with the 38-year-old finding the boundary twice on the leg side in convincing fashion before a lofted cut shot over backward point saw him pass 20.
Khawaja’s confidence with the bat continued to rise steeply as the first break neared, particularly on the leg side and sweeping of spin.
Pace off the ball was introduced into the match on the cusp of the lunch break in the form of Will Jacks, though with little success, with his first over going for 10 runs.
Labuschagne looked in control of his batting from the start, leaving with confidence as well as sending Ben Stokes to the boundary both sides of the wicket.
Khawaja will start the second session on 41 not out, with Labuschagne unbeaten on 19.
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AUS: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland ENG: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue