Ricky Ponting led Australia's fightback on day three in Adelaide, the captain teaming up with Mike Hussey in a fourth-wicket partnership of 192 to steady the Aussies spluttering first innings before both fell to intelligent new ball bowling from Matthew Hoggard.

Australia finished the day’s play at 312-5, still requiring 39 runs to avoid the follow-on.

It was a record-breaking day for the 31-year old Tasmanian, compiling a gutsy 142 for his 33rd Test century, setting a new Australian benchmark and only two behind Sachin Tendulkar's current world mark of 35. It was also Ponting's seventh ton of 2006, another Australian record, and his tenth in his past 13 Tests.

It wasn’t the prettiest of centuries and certainly lacked the brutal dominance of Ponting's 196 in Brisbane, but the captain did show some of the grit and character that has become a less publicised part of his game in recent years.

He was dropped on 35 by Ashley Giles in the deep, not the easiest of outfield chances with the spinner forced to run backwards, but it may yet be the most pivotal moment of the match.

Ponting added another 107 runs to his personal tally, although he was forced by the slow pitch and some tight English bowling to tick the scoreboard over with ones and twos, only finding the boundary 12 times in his 245-ball knock. He was bitterly disappointed with himself when he was dismissed at 257-4, edging Hoggard to Geraint Jones with Australia still 294 runs behind.

Hussey, too, was solid if not spectacular in his 91. He looked comfortable against Andrew Flintoff bowling around the wicket, the method that brought his downfall in Brisbane, but found the supply of runs drying up when facing the finger spin of Giles.

With the exception of a few close run-out calls, including a nail-biter on an outfield throw from James Anderson, Hussey gave England few chances to take his scalp until  Hoggard, who took all four wickets to fall on the day, caught him in two minds. The West Australian stuck his bat out and chopped the ball onto his stumps.

Hoggard was easily the star with the ball, finding subtle swing and movement off the pitch in a way no other bowler had been able on this Adelaide wicket. The Yorkshire seamer was magnificent in his first spell of the morning, bowling with  real intelligence to entice Matthew Hayden, then Damien Martyn to play at deliveries moving away from wide of off-stump to have the Aussies reeling at 65 for three.

His two wickets with the new ball late in the afternoon just moved the momentum back to England as Australia looked about to wrest back control.

Another positive for England was an impressive bowling spell from wayward quickie Steve Harmison, who put the horrors of the Gabba behind him.