One swallow might not make a summer but one partnership probably has. After two days of tight Test match intrigue Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin combined to dominate the third and reanimate Australian cricket.

When the pair came together on a gloomy Friday afternoon with their side at 5/143 the fear and trepidation that has haunted Australia's Ashes preparation looked well founded. When Haddin departed, over a full day's play later, Australia's outlook was as bright as the now sun-kissed Gabba.

Such are the slim margins at this level it so nearly could and probably should have been an entirely different scenario.

In a testing opening hour James Anderson bowled with verve but fell desperately short of making the breakthrough. Time after time he beat the outside edge or thundered a swinging Kookaburra into an Australian pad, but to no avail.

Twice Hussey was reprieved by technology. In the third over of the day he successfully reviewed an LBW decision against him and in the seventh over of play he was not given out LBW despite replays suggesting an England referral would have succeeded. Unfortunately for the disbelieving Strauss he had used both England's referrals fruitlessly on Friday.

Thereafter Hussey and Haddin treated a capacity Gabba to a clinic. Both men cut, pulled and drove with power and precision, frustrating the tourists for the next two sessions. Hussey eventually brought up his century midway through the morning session to a deafening ovation. Haddin, dropped on 65, raised his bat to the crowd following a straight six, early in the afternoon but neither looked sated.

Haddin plundered a defiant 136 and Hussey an epic 195, combining for the highest ever Test match partnership at the Gabba. Once Haddin departed, caught by Paul Collingwood at first slip off Graeme Swann bowling from around-the-wicket, it took just thirteen overs for England to polish off the tail.

Hussey top-edged a pull shot from Steve Finn before the same bowler castled Mitchell Johnson off his legs for a duck. Finn then secured his five-for when Peter Siddle gloved a pull to Swann at second slip for six before the Middlesex paceman wrapped things up with the wicket of Xavier Doherty, caught in the deep mistiming a pull shot for 16. Australia 481 all out, a lead of 221. Finn finished with 6/125.

England's successful final session with the ball hastened a perilous hour with the bat. An hour that almost began with a wicket as Andrew Strauss shouldered arms to an inswinger from Ben Hilfenhaus that looked for all the world to be out. Aleem Dar disagreed and Ricky Ponting's review again backed the judgement of the excellent Pakistani umpire. Strauss and Cook survived until stumps to leave England 0/19 and needing to survive at least four more sessions to be in with any chance of saving the match.

THE VIEW FROM AUSTRALIA:

Australia will be in buoyant mood after three days of a Test in which it has grown in confidence. It will please Greg Chappell and his panel of selectors that the game's three stellar performers, Hussey, Haddin and Peter Siddle, all had their positions scrutinised in the build up to the contest with all proving the NSP's judgement correct.

Australia's task now is to take another ten English wickets. As their recent experience against both England and India suggests this is no given but with two days in which to achieve the feat, on a cracking pitch, Ricky Ponting would be bitterly disappointed not to get the series off to a winning start.

THE VIEW FROM ENGLAND:

Despite being batted out of contention by Hussey and Haddin's partnership England never gave up. This match is now a test of resolve for England's batting line up as they will need to survive until at least tea on Monday to stand any chance of salvaging a draw.

History is not on England's side. It has passed 300 only three times in their second-innings at the Gabba and on each occasion has lost. Chasing 221 for parity, a score well in excess of 300 will be required if England is to save the game.

HEROS:

Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin - a story in numbers:

195 - Mike Hussey's highest test score

136 - Brad Haddin's second-highest test score

307 - The highest ever partnership at the Gabba, Australia's fifteenth-highest ever partnership, Australia's third-highest sixth-wicket partnership, the fifth highest sixth-wicket partnership ever.

VILLAIN:

The UDRS will come under fire in some quarters - notably the BBC's Jonathan Agnew - for its current implementation. At the moment, poor umpiring decisions can remain uncontested if they occur after the fielding side has used its quota of two failed reviews. In this match, England failed with a review of Michael Clarke, despite Snicko (a technology unused in the official review process) indicating an edge had been found. Consequently, when Hussey could have been adjudicated LBW on review England had no recourse to engage the third umpire.

I'M NOT SURE ANYONE ELSE NOTICED, BUT:

Australia finally has its answer to the Barmy Army - the Banana Army. A group of Brisbane locals have settled upon a fancy-dress theme following previous years as Clowns and American Indians. Dressed entirely in banana costumes the 30-strong choir's repertoire includes anything by Bananarama, the 'Make Your Body Sing' TV jingle that advertises bananas while the monotonous drone of 'Banana Army' is sufficiently close to the English 'Barmy Army' chant to confuse onlookers.

The Army's highlight was their serenade of Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, at the Gabba with a Chinese delegation. He must have required all his grasp of Mandarin to explain the scenario to his guests.

WHAT'S NEXT:
Quite simply, Australia has two days to take ten England wickets and England has two days to survive. The forecast is for a dry Sunday so rain is unlikely to come to England's aid.

TAB Sportsbet Odds:

Australia $1.36 Draw $3.75 England $13.00

Close Day 3:

England 260 & 0/19

Australia 481