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BRISBANE. – Stuart Broad responded to the boos and barracking of the Gabba to take the top four Australian wickets and five in all in a superlative first Test display which launched England’s defence of the Ashes in the best possible way on yesterday.A capacity 40 000 crowd at this fortress, where the Aussies have not lost for 25 years, were reduced to silence as Broad, a pantomime villain

Down Under, wrecked the home side’s top order after Michael Clarke won an important toss.

England did not have everything their own way and a defiant stand of 114 between Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson did much to restore home pride but Alastair Cook will be delighted with this outstanding start to the return Ashes series.

Broad, who has seen the pressure on him here cranked up in the last couple of days by a relentless campaign waged against him by the local Brisbane Courier-Mail newspaper, was particularly good.

If Australia, who had no hesitation in batting first, thought he would buckle under all the attention they were sadly mistaken as this combative character, who is regarded so highly by England, ripped through the home line up in a potentially series-defining spell.

This was Broad at his irresistible best as he replicated the decisive bowling which has so often inspired England, most recently in the fourth Test in Durham last summer, on a belter of a Brisbane pitch.

A chorus of boos and a chant of “Broad is a w*****” by a large section of the Gabba crowd greeted the announcement of the England star’s name and his first ball betrayed some nerves, a big no-ball being despatched for four by David Warner.

Yet he was soon hitting his stride and his second over brought the all-important breakthrough when a beauty took the top of Chris Rogers’ bat and was comfortably taken by Ian Bell at gully.

If that wicket brought jubilation for England then it was the second one that proved vital, Shane Watson falling just before lunch to Broad and essentially opening the floodgates for the tourists’ excellent bowling attack to storm through.

The middle session of this eagerly anticipated first day at this famous arena was as good as anything in England’s success-laden last few years as four wickets fell and Cook’s side began to dream of ending Australia’s proud Brisbane record.

Clarke was tetchy on the eve of this series, perhaps betraying the nerves he feels at the prospect of a fourth successive Ashes defeat for Australia, after the hosts slumped to                                         273-8.

Here he played tentatively at three pitched up deliveries from Broad straight after lunch, as if anticipating the short one that has troubled him so often, and then jabbing it straight to Bell at short leg when it came.

Much for the Australia captain to contemplate in the weeks ahead.

When Warner, who had played well for 49, slapped Broad straight to Kevin Pietersen at cover, the abuse of the crowd was replaced by a stunned silence and the editor of the Courier-Mail was no doubt wondering what on earth he would do next to target a man whose name he vowed not to print in his paper again.

When the outstanding Jimmy Anderson got in on the act to claim the debutant George Bailey, who found the step up to this rarefied level difficult at the age of 31, and Chris Tremlett took his first Test wicket for more than two years to dismiss Steve Smith, Australia were on the rocks.

That they are not already down and out was entirely due to the determined figure of Haddin and the much derided one of Johnson, returning to the Australia Test team and vowing to hurt the England batsmen.

Before that he hurt the bowlers with a disciplined, mature innings as the true nature of this pitch was revealed and England retreated into their   shells.

Johnson is no mean performer with the bat and the issue for Cook’s men is that he tends to gain confidence in his bowling after he has scored runs. Here he exposed the inadequacies of his side’s batsmen by showing them how it should be done with his highest score against England.

It took the second new ball and the return of Broad to end Johnson’s defiance, the Englishman swinging a ball past his drive and into his stumps to take his 50th Test wicket of the year, more than anybody in world cricket.

Broad held the ball up and received a mixture of boos and the applause of the more generous members of the home crowd for a simply outstanding performance, as good as anything he has produced in his career.

The deserving Anderson also struck with the new ball to remove Peter Siddle and with Haddin still there on 78 at the close Australia are a long way from where they should have been at 273 for eight.

First blood to England and now they have to make sure they build on this. – Mailonline.