Alastair Cook wound the clock back to post a potentially career-saving century on a day Australia's over-reliance on Steve Smith was exposed, leaving the hosts in a grim struggle in the fourth Test.
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The second day crowd of 67,882 came to the MCG expecting another ton from the Australian skipper only to see the home side crumble with the bat as England enjoyed one of its best days on what has been a miserable campaign.
Australia had been well placed to post another gargantuan first innings total but its hopes of inflicting a third straight whitewash on home soil now hang in the balance.
The visitors were 2/192 at stumps on the second day after Australia suffered a dramatic batting collapse in which it lost 7/67 to be all out for 327.