Inspired selection, Shane Watson's ineptitude and Andrew Strauss' eventual attacking field placements saw England put one hand on the urn as Australia began to circle the drain on day three of the fourth Test in Melbourne on Tuesday.

415 runs in the red at the start of their second knock and in need of a Jonathan Trott-esque effort from at least two of their batsmen, Australia were instead left at 169 for six at stumps - 246 runs shy of at least making their opposition bat again.

Trott's third Ashes century, arguably his best of the lot, and Matt Prior's sideshow 85 showed there were big runs to be scored after putting in the initial hard graft across an MCG track increasingly easy to bat on. Australia's batsmen, however, couldn't heed the signs. Instead they ran themselves out, inexplicably padded up and played right into the hands of Tim Bresnan's selection ahead of Steven Finn.

With news that Simon Katich is pressing for a return in the final Test, Phil Hughes would've done well to offer the selectors food for thought going to Sydney. He looked good for it, cutting and driving with the utmost of confidence as Chris Tremlett and James Anderson initially lost their compass.

However, with 23 promising runs from the left-hander and a 53-run opening stand there to be wasted, Watson stepped up to run his opening partner out with a suicidal single. Dropping and running to cover, Watson sold non-striker Hughes down the proverbial river, with fielder Trott and wicketkeeper Prior combining superbly to have the bails toppled in a flash. With an awkward mid-pitch wait alongside the apologetic Watson in his wake, Hughes moped back to the pavilion and surely the doldrums of domestic cricket.

Timidly seeing the Aussies to tea at 95 for one, Watson (54) then contrived to get himself out for yet another unconverted half-ton. Padding up to a Bresnan leg-cutter, not even the UDRS could save the perennial non-centurion. While Strauss had wisely avoided at least four referral opportunities on the back of big lbw shouts prior, Watson's haste with the 'T' symbol was questionable. Australia, with a mountainous task ahead of them, would have been better off keeping it in the bag.

Having done his best to atone himself after that verbal tirade on Monday overnight, Ponting made his way to the crease to a mixture of cheers and jeers. The under-fire skipper insisted on all the stops to stave off England, namely Bresnan's advances. But he was ultimately cleaned up by a peach of a length and hint of away movement from the beefy seamer, who finished the day with sterling figures of three for 26 in 15 overs.

Oddly sticking to an under-populated slip cordon and generally defensive field placements across the innings' opening 30-odd overs, skipper Strauss made up for his negativity in the face of a positive situation with a couple of ingenious moves.

Popping Ian Bell in at short cover for Mike Hussey, by and large a nervy starter, worked an instant treat as the in-form left-hander held out on the drive for a duck. 30 runs later, Michael Clarke (13) couldn't tend to some vicious rip off the track from spinner Swann and looped an edge straight to Strauss, who had only moments earlier stationed himself at second slip. Yes, Strauss' changes in the field would have come in discussion with his bowlers, but credit to the man for his willingness to try something different, albeit belatedly.

Prior, meanwhile, was left to breathe a huge sigh of relief at Clarke's departure, having missed a an easy stumping opportunity when the Australian vice-captain was on two. Why the right-hander so often advances down the track only to defend remains a quandary. As admirable as his footwork to the spinners is, he would be better off consistently attacking having reached the pitch of the ball.

More a specialist batsman these days than the leg-spinner Australia had once hoped he was, Steven Smith (38) looked to go to stumps with his wicket intact. That all went out the window, though, when one aggressive shot too many and a severe lack of footwork sent a fat bottom edge crashing into his stumps. Anderson's lack of celebration presented the wicket as an inevitability rather than a probability.

Brad Haddin (11 not out) and Mitchell Johnson (six not out) gutsed out the closing throes of Tuesday, avoiding a possible extension to the day to facilitate a three-day finish. Wednesday, however, will be an entirely different affair as England look to wrap up proceedings inside the first session.

Five-dayers very much old hat in the ebb and flow of this epic.

Earlier, Australia's seamers - minus the services of Ryan Harris - saw to it that England's overnight 444 for six didn't reach anything loftier than 513 all out, though the tourists' third 500-plus score of the series hardly sits well with home pundits and fans alike.

With Harris having hobbled off with an ankle injury and determined to make Monday's lifeline from umpire Aleem Dar count, Prior was all set for a century before a tame, lame bobble to mid-on off the bowling of Peter Siddle sent him packing for 85.

Bresnan's textbook defence off the front foot only succeeded in offering Siddle his fifth scalp of the innings before Graeme Swann (22) enjoyed some characteristically lusty blows.

It took the otherwise ineffective Ben Hilfenhaus, belatedly in on the wickets, to do for Swann before tail-ender extraordinaire Chris Tremlett had no answer to the right-arm seamer's reverse swing in a quite spectacular castling of the stumps.

Where Tremlett was useless in the face of something back of a length, Anderson succumbed to the fuller delivery to give Siddle his second six-for of the series. With Finn left to wallow in the shadow of Bresnan from here on in, the 2010 Ashes might soon have a new top wicket-taker in the form of 13-scalp Siddle.

All the while Trott stood tall, offering sweet nothing the way of the Australians, left entirely frustrated by the talented right-hander's fidgeting more than his choice strokeplay. Hilfenhaus in particular - and rightly so - had no time for Trott's constant scratching around the crease and more often than not started his run-up despite Trott's lack of readiness.

Idiosyncrasies aside, Trott was as majestic as ever in his shot selection and timing, lacing sound cover drives with perfection through midwicket time and time again to finish unbeaten on 168 not out at the fall of Anderson's wicket.

Shot of the Day
Watson is a veritable machine when it comes to the cut shot, and the one he orchestrated off Anderson for four in the seventh over of the innings typified his utter dominance of the stroke. Anything and everything marginally wide must fetch, according to Watson.

Delivery of the Day
Hilfenhaus' ball to get rid of Tremlett acted as more of an omen of what was to come from the English bowlers than it did to further up-end an already-frail tail. The ball started to reverse as early as the 18th over in Australia's second knock and made Bresnan's job all the easier.

Defining Moment of the Day
Without a doubt the dismissal of Hussey. So often Australia's lone rescue act, his removal for a duck was key to capping off a great day for England. Great thinking in putting a short cover in place for the nervy starter, who obliged on the premature drive.

Jonhenry Wilson