Australia recorded its lowest score at the MCG since the first Test against England in 1877

It was the day England captain Andrew Strauss elected to bowl on a manageable pitch for batsmen prepared to exercise patience.

When Australia capitulated for 98. The day large chunks of the 84,345-strong crowd went home early because Boxing Day had become such a debacle.

The day the urn was lost, as Alastair Cook (80) and Strauss (64) steered England to 0-157 at stumps.

Michael Clarke's 20 was the highest score for Australia, which at one stage lost 3-0.

Of the top order, only Clarke, Philip Hughes (16) and Ricky Ponting (10) reached double figures. Mike Hussey went for eight, while the Steve Smith experiment at No. 6 went up in smoke when he went for just six. England paceman James Anderson was quick, with movement, and finished with 4-44, claiming Clarke, Hussey, Smith and Mitchell Johnson .

Australia's first Test, against England at the MCG in 1877, coughed up a second-innings total of 104.

Not since 1907 has a team won a Test after making less than a hundred in its first innings, and the host's chances here depended on an early blitzkrieg with the ball.

The sun burst forth as Strauss and Cook strode out to face an Australian team that chose to play four pacemen at the MCG for the first time in decades.

Ben Hilfenhaus was chosen despite averaging 50-plus at this ground in the Sheffield Shield competition and taking only two wickets so far in the series, while specialist spinner Michael Beer was relegated to 12th man duties for the second Test in a row.

On a dark day for Australian cricket, the anticipated world record crowd failed to eventuate because only 13,500 of the 22,000 members decided to use their seats.

Another dark day today and it really will be lights out for Australia.