Australia seamer Michael Nesser who made his debut in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide scalped his first wicket in the format as he sent England opener Haseeb Hameed packing for 6 off 21 in the first innings. Hameed was caught by Mitchell Starc stationed at mid-on.
The visitors had already lost both the openers, Hameed and Rory Burns and were struggling at 12/2 at the time of writing.
Earlier, the hosts rode on an emphatic batting from David Warner, stand-in captain Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey and a late surge from the tailenders to post 473/9 (D) in the first innings.
While Warner and Smith missed out on individual tons by small margins, Labuschagne went on to notch up 103. Warner struck 95 while Smith was out for 93. The wicket-keeper batsman Carey who replaced Tim Paine in the squad also scored a fifty during the course.
While Nesser picked his first Test wicket after getting the Baggy green cap, he also chipped in with some valuable runs earlier in the day.
Australia were 390/7 when Starc was joined by Nesser in the middle and the two batters put on a partnership of 58 for the 8th wicket. Starc remained unbeaten at run-a-ball 39 but Nesser eventually departed for a 24-ball 35.