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England were forced into a rebuilding job after three morning wickets provided Australia with the early initiative on the opening day of the 2009 Ashes.

Experienced duo Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood came together before lunch after left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson bagged two wickets in quick succession.

Having won the toss, Andrew Strauss' England were forced into a new evaluation of their aspirations by the loss of wickets in the opening session.

They took the hosts to 141 for three midway through the first afternoon in Cardiff.

It was cat-and-mouse cricket after lunch as Australia captain Ricky Ponting introduced spinner Nathan Hauritz and the batsmen milked runs in singles and twos.

Pietersen began the middle session with two glorious cover drives for four off Ben Hilfenhaus while Collingwood found the midwicket rope with an aerial pull off Peter Siddle.

Australia had the better of the morning thanks to Johnson's double strike in the latter stages.

A tremendous over from Johnson accounted for England captain Strauss.

Slower balls outfoxed both Strauss and Ravi Bopara before the former was tucked up by a straight bouncer and looped into the slips off the glove.

Another drop in pace then accounted for Bopara on Johnson's switch of ends as a checked drive ballooned to Phillip Hughes at point.

Earlier, Alastair Cook became the first victim of the npower series in the eighth over when a forcing stroke away from his body was superbly clung to by a diving Michael Hussey in the gully off the bowling of Hilfenhaus.

The breakthrough came from nowhere, after the hosts won the toss, and put a spring in the step of a young Australia attack.

It brought Essex's Bopara to the crease on the back of three hundreds in his last three Test innings and he immediately felt the heat despite the slowness of the pitch.

Short deliveries from Siddle caused his discomfort, particularly when one got so big on him he had no option but to take a blow in the throat.

Another ball reared into his inner thigh off the inside edge and Bopara's nervous start also included an inside edge for four to get off the mark.

Hilfenhaus justified his selection with the initial success and by swinging the new ball at pace.

Both he and Hauritz were included in the tourists' line-up, which meant a surprise omission for seamer Stuart Clark.

With Brett Lee already ruled out through injury, Clark was Australia's senior bowler and the final place was expected to be between those two.