Mike Hussey scored a composed unbeaten 81 as middle-order wickets tumbled Friday to revive Australia's first innings and silence the critics who questioned his selection for the first Ashes test against England.

Hussey and Brad Haddin combined for an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 77 to lift Australia to 220 for five in reply to England's first innings of 260 when bad light and rain forced an early end to day two at the Gabba, The pair combined with Australia in trouble at 143-5, and while the hosts had wrested back a marginal ascendancy, Hussey thought the game remained delicately poised.

Steven Finn, on his Ashes debut, followed that up by snaring Simon Katich (50) and Michael Clarke (9) before Marcus North (1) fell to Graeme Swann, leaving Australia still 117 adrift of England's first innings total with the top order already removed.