Haddin, Johnson fight back in first Ashes Test

BRISBANE: Stuart Broad wreaked havoc with five wickets as England restricted Australia to 273 for 8 in the first Ashes Test match at the Gabba, Brisbane, on Thursday.

At close on Day 1 Brad Haddin was batting with a solid 78 and giving him company was Ryan Harris on 4 after captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat.

Haddin and Mitchell Johnson revived the hosts with a 114-run partnetship for the seventh wicket after Broad ran amok grabbing the wickets of Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson and skipper Michael Clarke.

And just when Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson were threatening to take the match away with a century stand, Broad was introduced and he got rid of Johnson to wrest the initiative back with England.

Johnson, back in the squad more for his bowling, had shown during his 134-ball 64 what he can do with his bat by scoring his 8th half century from 52 Test matches.

But the burden is on Haddin to carry Australia to a safer total. The wicket-keeper batsman played a cool and composed knock. His unbeaten 78 coming off 132 balls and consisting seven boundaries.