3rd Test: James Anderson's deadly swing consumes Australia on Day 1

After their horrendous bowling performance saw Australia leveling back the Ashes series 1-1 at Lord's, a spirited and more aggressive England brigade took the field at Edgbaston in the third Test on 29 July. The bowling trio of James Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad was at its prolific best to skittle the tourists out for a mere 136 runs in the first innings on Day 1.

Anderson was the pick of the England bowlers with his tally of six wickets for 47 runs while Broad and Finn took two wickets apiece on a livelier pitch and under overcast conditions, promising more assistance to the seamers.

Australian captain Michael Clarke won the toss and didn't hesitate to bat on a pitch as green as the Wimbledon courts. His decision did raise a few eyebrows, but when Alastair Cook revealed he would have done the same, it sounded a bit reasonable.

The tourists got off to a bad start, losing opener David Warner (2) in the third over after he was trapped lbw by Anderson. Though England's frontline seamers Anderson and Broad kept troubling the Australian batsmen, it was Finn who took the next two wickets of Steven Smith (7) and Michael Clarke (10).

Australia, who were recovering after early blows, were at 72/3 at lunch and didn't look that bad. However, the visitors lost a whopping seven wickets for a mere 64 runs in the second session. Out of the seven wickets in the second session, five were claimed by Anderson whose swing bowling simply proved too hot to handle for the opposition batsmen.

Chris Rogers (52) was the only silver lining in Australia's first innings that lasted for a mere 36.4 overs against the English seam bowlers.

In reply, England lost two wickets in Adam Lyth (10) and Alastair Cook (34) in the last session of play. Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon took the wickets for Australia who'll be eager to make mends with the ball after a poor show with the bat.

With Ian Bell (47) and Joe Root (14) at the crease, England were cruising at 110/2 after 24 overs in their first innings on Day 1.

James Anderson breathes fire at Edgbaston

A livelier pitch and overcast conditions is all it took for England's swing maestro James Anderson to rip through the Australian batting-order in the first innings on Day 1. The right-arm seamer claimed six wickets while conceding 47 runs in 14.4 overs, including a spell of 4/7 in 10 balls after lunch. It was also Anderson's 18th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Anderson needed a mere eight balls to take his 407th Test wicket when he dismissed Australian opener David Warner for just two runs in the third over of the match. Though he couldn't pick any more wickets before lunch, Anderson continued to trouble the opposition batsmen with his deadly swing bowling.

England's bowling spear-head claimed his second wicket right after lunch when he sent Adam Voges packing for 16 runs. Mitchell Marsh (0), Peter Nevill (2), Mitchell Johnson (3) and Nathan Lyon (11) later became the victims of Anderson - who took five out of the seven wickets England claimed in the second session of play.

Steven Finn revels on his return for England

While James Anderson runs away with all the limelight and plaudits for his impeccable swing bowling, his teammate Steven Finn shouldn't be deprived of the praise he deserves for his immaculate performance in the first innings.

The 26-year-old seamer played a vital role in Australia's batting collapse while exerting pressure with his tight line and length. After Anderson dismissed Warner early in the third over, it was Finn who took the next two wickets to push the tourists on the backfoot.

Came in to bowl against Steven Smith who has been a rock for Australia in the series so far, Finn handed the opposition a costly blow by dismissing their star-batsman for a mere seven runs in his very first over of the game. He returned to haunt Australia once again and scalped their captain Michael Clarke for just 10 runs in his third over.

The right-arm seamer was playing his first Test match since the opening Test of the 2013 Ashes at Trent Bridge, and he went from being unpickable then to unplayable now.

Fall of wickets on Day 1

Australian innings:

2.2 overs: James Anderson got David Warner (2) out lbw on an inswinging delivery. Warner went forward to defend but the ball nipped back in sharply and struck his pad right in front of the wickets.

7.6 overs: Steven Finn got Steven Smith (7) out caught at the first slip on a pitched up delivery. Smith was looking to drive but got beaten with the away movement as the ball took an outside edge of the bat and went straight into the hands of Alastair Cook who doesn't drop those.

11.2 overs: Steven Finn bowled Michael Clarke (10) on a fuller delivery. Clarke was just a tad too late in his shot as the ball went past his bat and crashed onto the stumps.

20.6 overs: James Anderson got Adam Voges (16) out caught by the wicket-keeper on a back-of-the-length delivery. Voges couldn't decide whether to leave the ball or play at it and ended up edging it straight into the hands of Jos Buttler who took a comfortable catch.

22.3 overs: James Anderson got Mitchell Marsh (0) out caught by the wicket-keeper on a fuller delivery. Marsh was lured into the drive to produce an outside edge that was caught by Jos Buttler behind the stumps.

24.4 overs: James Anderson bowled Peter Nevill (2) on an inswinging delivery. Nevill decided against playing at it and was looking to leave when the ball nipped back off the seam and clipped the top of the off-stump.

26.6 overs: James Anderson got Mitchell Johnson (3) out caught at fourth slip on a pitched up delivery. Johnson was looking to push at it and got an outside edge that flew straight into the hands of Ben Stokes who took it easily.

31.2 overs: Stuart Broad got Chris Rogers (52) out lbw on a back-of-the-length delivery. Rogers was looking to work it towards the leg side off the backfoot, but missed it completely as the ball struck his pad in front of the stumps.

33.3 overs: Stuart Broad got Mitchell Starc (11) out caught by the wicket-keeper on a back-of-the-length delivery. Starc was late in deciding whether to leave or play at it, only to edge it to Jos Buttler behind the stumps.

36.4 overs: James Anderson bowled Nathan Lyon (11) on a good length delivery. Lyon was looking to play it towards the off side but got an inside-edge back onto the stumps.

England innings:

7.3 overs: Josh Hazlewood got Adam Lyth (10) out caught in the slip cordon on a fuller delivery. Lyth was chasing a wide delivery only to produce an outside edge that went straight towards Adam Voges who held onto it in the second attempt.

17.2 overs: Nathan Lyon got Alastair Cook (34) out caught at short leg on a half-tracker. Cook went onto the backfoot and pulled it straight into the hands of Adam Voges who somehow managed to cling onto the ball.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article has only been updated till the 24th over of England's first innings on Day 1.