Australia's struggling top order under fire

Australia's top-order batsman came under attack after they failed to fire against England on the opening day of the Ashes series at the Gabba, with "pantomime villain" Stuart Broad doing the damage.
The home side were teetering at 132 for six at one stage only to be salvaged by a battling rearguard effort from Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson, who helped take the score to a more respectable 273-8 at close of play.
Cricket writers were harsh in their verdict on the team's top batsmen, while acknowledging Broad had the last laugh, taking five wickets after being targeted as the villain by a local Brisbane newspaper and the Gabba crowd.

"The continuing incompetence of Australia's batting cannot be camouflaged by rearguard actions," The Daily Telegraph's Malcolm Conn said.
"Australia's specialist batsmen were shamed by Stuart Broad (5-65), who revelled in the role of pantomime villain, exploiting sharp bounce and movement from a lively Gabba pitch."
Conn said "all the distress" of this year's failed Ashes campaign in England came flooding back as Australia crumbled, with nobody in the top six managing to pass 50.
The Australian's Peter Lalor agreed:" A tail can wag the dog but no matter how many runs the wicketkeeper and bowlers contributed to Australia's fightback, the way the top order toppled bodes badly for the Ashes series.

"At first exposure to match conditions, the brave talk after the (Australian) winter has proved hollow, the dawns false and the promises empty.