Dawid Malan and captain Joe Root fought to push England to 107 for two at tea on day three of the first Ashes test after Australia knocked over the tourists' openers cheaply at the Gabba on Friday.
Malan was on 35 not out, while Root was on 26, with England still needing another 171 runs to make Australia bat again.
England's openers had survived to lunch at 23 for no loss, but fell soon after the break under the pressure of Australia's pace barrage.
Rory Burns' nightmare test continued as he was caught behind for 13 off the bowling of captain Pat Cummins, a short ball cramping him as he made a hash of a cut shot.
Burns was bowled first ball of the series on Wednesday by Mitchell Starc and dropped fellow opener David Warner in the slips on Thursday. Warner went on to score 94.
Haseeb Hameed fell needlessly to a leg-side glance that clipped his glove on the way to wicketkeeper Alex Carey off the bowling of Starc.
Root and Malan steadied the innings in a 46-run partnership to the teabreak but England have a massive task ahead to save the match.
Earlier, Travis Head finished with a magnificent 152 from 148 balls, Australia's last wicket to fall after another dominant session in the morning.
Following Head's swashbuckling century on day two, the equal third-fastest in Ashes history, Australia resumed on 343 for seven in the morning.
It was a largely dreary session for England, with paceman Ollie Robinson, who appeared to be nursing a sore hamstring late on day two, still in a funk.
Ben Stokes, who bowled nine overs on Thursday and struggled after jarring his left knee, was cleared to bowl and came into the attack some 45 minutes into the session.
The all-rounder was blasted over his head for six by Head on his second delivery.
Nearly an hour passed before tail-ender Starc gifted England a wicket by slogging Chris Woakes straight to Burns at deep square leg.
Moments later, Nathan Lyon also offered up a caught-and-bowled wicket to Woakes but the seam-bowling all-rounder put down the one-handed chance.
Lyon then slogged Stokes for four on the next over to push Australia past 400.
Wood, the pick of England's bowlers, finally dismissed Lyon for 15 when the number 10 pulled at a short ball and top-edged to Robinson at square leg.
Head slog-swept Jack Leach to bring up his 150 in 143 balls and enjoyed another roaring ovation from the Gabba crowd, as fans kitted out as bananas, convicts and nuns celebrated the mark.
Hameed then dropped Head in the field with a running chance before the batsman was finally bowled by Wood backing away from the wicket in search of quick runs.