Bolstered by Paul Collingwood's unconquered 98 and contrasting half-centuries from Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, England has fought to a score of 266-3 at stumps against some persistent Australian bowling on day one of the second Test at Adelaide Oval.
Collingwood and Bell (60) shared a stubborn third-wicket stand of 113 in 41 overs, including 86 in 31 overs throughout the second session, after Stuart Clark had removed left-hand openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook in the 15th and 21st overs.
Then Collingwood and Pietersen (60 not out) upped the tempo in a lively, unfinished fourth-wicket partnership of 108 in 28 overs - five against the second new ball - to enable England to take the first-day honours and have renewed self-belief just four days after Australia's 277-run win in the first Test in Brisbane.
It was a good toss to win for England captain Andrew Flintoff because the pitch looked a traditional Adelaide belter and played accordingly in fine conditions - sunny early, windy later - in front of a near-capacity crowd of 31,458 - the biggest at Adelaide since 30,865 saw the third day of the Australia-West Indies Test in January, 1976.
Collingwood's defiant, unbeaten 98, with seven fours, off 201 balls, followed his 96 in the second innings at the Gabba. In his 17th Test, he is poised to complete his third century to complement his 134 not out against India in Nagpur in 2005-06 and 186 against Pakistan at Lord's this year.
Bell's gritty 60 contained six fours and came off 188 balls. He left in the fourth over after tea, miscuing a pull off Brett Lee, who moved down the pitch to complete the catch.
Pietersen won his duel with Shane Warne - including pounding a six over long-off - but the champion leg-spinner turned the ball challengingly and deserved a better return than 0-85 off 27 overs.
Pietersen also sprinkled five fours in his aggressive, unbeaten 60 off just 95 balls. He was perilously close to losing his wicket off the second-last ball of the day when he skied an ambitious pull off Lee just out of McGrath's reach at mid-on.
Earlier, Clarke took 2-4 in 21 balls when Strauss (14) spooned a catch to Damien Martyn at wide mid-on and Cook (27) pushed at a ball angled across him and feathered a waist-high catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
Both teams were unchanged from the first Test. McGrath sent down about 20 balls in the practice nets and passed a fitness test on his blistered/bruised heel two hours before play started, and England surprised by retaining new-ball bowler James Anderson and again leaving out left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.
