England bowled Australia out for 98 in two sessions, and replied with 112 for none, long before the close on day one of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

James Anderson and Chris Tremlett shared eight wickets as the home batsmen singularly failed to cope in ideal conditions for England's pace attack, after Andrew Strauss had put them in under cloud cover and on a surface dappled with green.

And the tourists openers Strauss (46 not out) and Alastair Cook (55no) were in no mood to let the advantage slip, and seamlessly put their team into credit - with massive power to add - after the sun had come out on cue to aid the batsmen from the moment England began their innings.

Australia's seamers, who knew they had precious few runs to play with, did not bowl badly but were a little less disciplined than their opposite numbers.

Anderson (four for 44) was the pick of that impressive display, despite unluckily failing to take even one wicket in his new-ball spell. Instead, Tremlett (four for 26) collected two of the first three, and Tim Bresnan - called up for this pivotal match in place of leading wicket-taker Steven Finn - also soon put his name in the final column.

The evidence was clear from the outset that Australia faced a struggle, and opener Shane Watson's 12-ball stay was a fretful one. Second slip Paul Collingwood and, more glaringly, Kevin Pietersen at gully both dropped Watson off Anderson. But it barely mattered, because Tremlett produced a brute of a delivery to take the glove for an unmissable catch to Pietersen.

Second-wicket pair Ricky Ponting and Phil Hughes endured an often unequal battle, to little avail. After a succession of scrapes each, Hughes fell to first-change Bresnan's seventh delivery of the series - chasing some freedom outside off-stump, only to spear a drive on the up straight to Pietersen.

The Australia captain got no further than 10, before Tremlett - switched to the Southern Stand end - got another to spit and take the splice for an excellent catch high at second slip by Graeme Swann.

Strauss brought Anderson back just before lunch at the Members end, and he delivered a telling blow when Mike Hussey almost immediately edged some swing behind to make it 58 for four just one ball before rain ended the session early.

The procession kicked in properly after lunch, with the next four wickets falling for 11 runs. Anderson saw off Steve Smith, Clarke and Mitchell Johnson to edges behind at lateral movement - and Bresnan had Brad Haddin nicking to slip when he went after a slightly wider ball. It was only a matter of time before the last two wickets fell in similar fashion.