A resurgent Mitchell Johnson breathed life into Australia's Ashes campaign with a four-wicket burst on the second morning at the WACA as England stumbled to lunch on 5 for 119.
He broke an opening stand of 78 by claiming Alastair Cook before crashing through the visitors' middle order including Kevin Pietersen for a duck. England's problems were compounded by the loss of Andrew Strauss, who'd played well for his 52, and it was Australia with all the momentum.England had made comfortable progress for most of the first hour, helped by another fielding lapse when Strauss was given a life, and scored briskly to suggest further pain for Australia. However, Johnson's introduction changed the complexion as he settled into a tight line then rediscovered his swing, which makes him such a deadly prospect when he's on song. His scalping of Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, and Paul Collingwood were classic left-armer to right-hander dismissals as the batsmen were beaten by sharp movement.
Cook played another confident innings and looked set to continue his prolific series before driving at a full delivery which shaped away, giving Mike Hussey a low catch in the gully. It was an area that the Australians haven't attacked enough to Cook and it brought rewards. Trott only lasted eight balls when Johnson beat a flat-footed drive with one that swung back into the right hander and would have taken off stump.
Pietersen's stay was even briefer as Johnson followed two off-stump deliveries with another inducker which struck the batsman in front of middle and leg. Pietersen asked for a review, but he never wore the expression of a man confident he would be saved and indeed the ball was striking flush on leg stump. Three wickets in 12 balls and the series was alive.
Collingwood is the one England top-order batsman not to fill his boots so far - he failed in Brisbane and hit 42 in Adelaide - and was nowhere near the delivery that snaked back and struck him on the front pad. Initially he wasn't given but, after some persuading from Johnson, Ricky Ponting ask for a review and it proved a perfect call with the ball hitting in line and taking off stump six inches from the top.
A team that had racked up 1240 runs for six wickets in their last two innings were looking shellshocked. Johnson was well supported by Ben Hilfenhaus, who completed a probing spell, and Ryan Harris as he collected the other wicket to fall during the session. It was a major strike, too, with Strauss in fine form after being reprieved on 16 when Brad Haddin and Shane Watson left an edge to each other and it flew between them.
Strauss had been particularly strong through the leg side when the bowlers strayed, but by the time he brought up his fifty Johnson was already doing significant damage and the acknowledgement was muted. He was undone by a good delivery from Harris that climbed and took the edge, sending Australia into further wild celebrations. Ponting even managed a few smiles and, for the first time since the third day in Brisbane, his team had won a session to put the series back in the balance.
