The players and umpires are striding out to the middle and that signals time for me to hand back to Timothy Abraham to take you through the evening session.

Let's hope he can bring England a little more luck than I managed.

Watching the wickets back, it's probably fair to say that Haseeb Hameed and Dawid Malan are the only two who haven't got themselves out today.

The sight of an England batter smashing his bat onto his pad is becoming all too familiar.

Richard Stevens: So we made the arduous journey from England to watch this. It's freezing at the MCG and we're not being warmed any time soon by this display of batting. At least we'll probably have a bowl tonight. Aus 27-5 at stumps is our only hope.

Ben Stokes led a brief counter-attack before he was also dismissed softly by Cameron Green, who was impressive once again with the ball.

Joe Root once again held England together, and once again reached an effortless 50.

But his reaction to getting out sums up England's day so far, really.

Captain Pat Cummins didn't look like a man who'd spent the last Test in isolation when he took the new ball this morning.

He claimed all three of England's wickets before lunch and set the tone for more Australian dominance.

Well, what a disastrous way to go to tea.

Australia have bowled well, but only Cummins has looked like a real, genuine threat. There's not much to suggest it's a 128-6 pitch.

Once again England have gifted a fair few of their wickets away.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on BBC Test Match Special

That was a hideous dismissal. He's just given a catch to deep square leg.

Buttler played so resolutely in Adelaide and then does that.

Image source, Getty Images

Twice in the day England have lost a wicket just before the break - Malan falling the ball before lunch and now Buttler.

I don't think many of the England players will be going up to Buttler for a chat any time soon. He looked a tad angry and dejected, to put it lightly.

Geoff Lemon
Australian journalist at the MCG

Having just walked a lap outside the MCG, it’s buzzing quite nicely with people still coming in and out. Not as big a crowd inside as we would normally expect, but it must be past 60,000. The early rain has gone and the day has settled into a mild one with some watery sunlight coming through. It feels increasingly festive, as per the season - with a quiet hum of background anxiety.

A maiden over from Cummins, who clearly wasn't too distracted by the invasion.

I sense it would take quite a lot to distract him, to be fair.

Obey: I think 300 will be a good first innings score on this pitch. It won’t be easy to bat last so England still have a chance to make something out of this match.

A pitch invader has made his way onto the MCG outfield and is chased briefly before being rugby tackled to the ground by some stewards and is escorted away. Thankfully, he is clothed, at least.

We saw this way too often during the UK summer. Jonny Bairstow doesn't look impressed.

Bairstow upper cuts, much like Ben Stokes was intending, over the slips for three.

Just over 10 minutes to go until tea.

Here is England's last wicket to fall, that of Ben Stokes for 25.

Bairstow is embracing his inner Joe Root, being very busy at the crease and looking for singles on almost every occasion.

Not sure what England are hoping for from here. Hard to see 250 being anywhere near enough but they'd probably take it at this rate.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent on BBC Test Match Special

It's important to remember this is a series like no other. England are playing their third Test match and have had no real warm-up matches to fall back upon.

Australia also sense this is the key partnership as Pat Cummins returns.