Ben Stokes dismissed opener Chris Rogers (11) and skipper Michael Clarke (10) and in the final over of the morning James Anderson trapped Shane Watson leg before wicket for 43.
At lunch, Australia, chasing a 5-0 series whitewash, were 94 for four, with Steve Smith at the crease on eight as the tourists took advantage of a green-tinged SCG wicket.
Australia lost the wicket of David Warner in the first hour, bowled by Stuart Broad for 16, but England had three more breakthroughs in the second hour of play.
Rogers, who scored 116 in Australia's eight-wicket victory in the fourth Test, attempted to pull only to drag the ball on to his leg stump.
And Stokes got the big breakthrough when he coaxed an edge off Clarke to Ian Bell in the slips.
Anderson then grabbed Watson's wicket on the stroke of lunch with an off-cutter cannoning into his pads.
At lunch, Stokes had two wickets for 32, while Anderson and Broad had one wicket each.
Australia, who are chasing a 5-0 sweep for only the third time in Ashes history, remained unchanged for the fifth consecutive Test after all-rounder Watson (groin) and paceman Ryan Harris (knee) were cleared to play.
England sprung a surprise by dropping Joe Root and elevating Ian Bell to number three, while Michael Carberry kept his place at the top of the order, despite concerns over his slow rate of scoring.
Root, 22, paid the price for scoring just 192 runs at 27.42.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
