On a miserable day where rain and bad light ruined the party the Aussies threatened, against the odds, to send England to dinner in an unhappy mood but second Test hero Jofra Archer roared to life to ensure his captain Joe Root sleeps a little bit easier going into day two.
In the last over before stumps the Aussies were bowled out for 179 as a red-hot Archer took 6/45 – his first five-wicket haul in Tests.
The overhead conditions convinced Root to bowl first and it was looking like a masterstroke when Stuart Broad had David Warner playing and missing what seemed like every ball as he got the Dukes hooping around corners.
Replacing Cameron Bancroft at the top of the order, Marcus Harris failed to capitalise on his return to the Test arena, edging Archer behind for eight and Usman Khawaja didn't fare any better, tickling a delivery down the leg side to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for the same score.
Warner was in all sorts, regularly getting beaten past the outside edge but for the first time this series he made it into double figures and he did more than that, going on to score a valuable half century.
With Steve Smith missing because of concussion after copping a nasty blow to the neck in the second Test at Lord's, Australia needed its most senior batsman to step up and fill the void and he fulfilled the brief to perfection in incredibly difficult batting conditions.
Warner became more confident with his punches down the ground and as usual he was lightning while running between the wickets. He reached his fifty with two fours in the same over off Ben Stokes, raising his bat and soaking up the appreciative applause from his teammates.
At the other end Smith's replacement Marnus Labuschagne was the perfect partner, carrying on his good form from Lord's where he scored a match-saving 59 as Australia held on for a crucial draw to maintain a 1-0 series lead going to Headingley.
In 11 overs after tea the pair put on 70 runs as a ragged England outfit squandered its opportunity in ideal bowling conditions. Stokes and Chris Woakes were sending down far too much loose stuff that was sent to the boundary and the fielding standards dropped as twice Australia benefited from receiving four overthrows.
Warner and Labuschagne brought up a century stand for the third wicket and looked in control before a dramatic passage of play shook things back in England's favour.
Root brought Archer back into the attack and the second-gamer delivered, bowling a corker that nibbled away off the seam just enough to catch Warner's outside edge and dismiss him caught behind for 61.
Broad then delivered an absolute pearler to dismiss Travis Head for a duck. Bowling from around the wicket, the fast bowler angled the ball in and straightened it to beat Head's forward defence and clip the top of off stump.
England was then celebrating taking three wickets for three runs when, trying to tuck a ball into the on-side, the ball came off Matthew Wade's thigh pad and rolled back onto leg stump, just bumping it hard enough to dislodge a single bail.
It saw Australia collapse from 2/136 to 5/139 and it was game on again.
"England has had a crazy 10 minutes," former England captain Nasser Hussain said in commentary for Sky Sports.
Tim Paine couldn't make a significant dent on the scorecard, out for 11 when an LBW shout off Woakes was initially turned down before Root went to the DRS, which showed the ball was going to hit leg stump.
James Pattinson played a couple of nice shots but like his top-order teammates he was no match for Archer when the paceman hit the perfect line and length to elicit an outside edge that saw the ball fly into Root's safe hands at slip.
But through all the carnage Labuschagne stuck firm. The classy right-hander – who was struck on the grill second ball at Lord's – showed no fear and rarely looked troubled as he held the innings together.
He defended confidently off both front and back foot and took advantage of anything that drifted too straight onto his legs to increase his tally with minimal risk.
But Labuschagne was running out of partners if he was to score his maiden Test century. Pat Cummins reviewed his caught behind decision but was still given his marching orders for a duck as Australia slumped to 8/174.
But any hopes the Queensland batsman had of reaching triple figures when he was cut down in strange fashion on 74. A Stokes full toss hit him on the top of the pad and sent him sprawling to the ground as he lost his footing.
Labuschagne reviewed the decision but the ball was clattering into the pads and he was a goner.
"What a turnaround," former England captain Michael Atherton said in commentary for Sky Sports as the Aussies hit 9/177.
That turnaround was complete when Nathan Lyon was trapped LBW two runs later to give Archer his sixth wicket.
'Crazy': England fights back
As soon as people started laying the boot into England for its underwhelming offerings with the ball, Jofra Archer struck to remove David Warner for 61.
Brought back into the attack by Joe Root, Archer bowled a jaffa that nibbled away off the seam just enough to catch the outside edge and send Warner packing for 61.
Some fans gave Warner a standing ovation as he walked off having scored his first half century of the series but the more vocal section in the western terrace booed loudly.
Stuart Broad then joined the party with an absolute pearler to dismiss Travis Head for a duck. Bowling from around the wicket, the fast bowler angled the ball in and straightened it off the seam to beat Head's forward defence and clip the top of off stump.
It was the perfect delivery and Broad spread his arms out in celebration as he took off after disrupting the woodwork.
Marnus Labuschagne was still there though, raising his bat after scoring another half century but England had taken 3/3 when Matthew Wade was bowled in unfortunate fashion.
Trying to tuck the ball into the leg side, the ball came off Wade's leg and rolled back onto leg stump, just bumping it hard enough to dislodge one bail.
It saw Australia collapse from 2/136 to 5/139.
"England has had a crazy 10 minutes," former England captain Nasser Hussain said in commentary for Sky Sports.
Aussies fire as Poms wilt
David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne brought up their century partnership as they started to take the game away from England.
In 11 overs after tea, the Aussies racked up a whopping 70 runs – numbers that would make English skipper Joe Root fume.
Loose bowling and sloppy fielding punctuated by two instances of four overthrows were reflective of English standards dropping.
Australia was scoring at more than 4.3 runs per over which, given England won the toss and chose to field in helpful bowling conditions, was astonishing.
Daily Mail cricket writer Lawrence Booth tweeted the period of play was "total garbage" from England, while Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan and former England star Adam Hollioake also weighed in.
Hundred up for Aussies, Warner bounces back
It looked like the Australian innings was going to be a quick one when the visitors lost two quick wickets and Stuart Broad had the ball hooping around corners.
But David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne combined to steer their side out of trouble, guiding the Aussies past 100 as they defied the hosts' attack.
With 30 overs remaining in the rain-interrupted day, Australia was 2/108 and next over Warner brought up his maiden half century of the tour.
The opener had been out for single figures in each of his previous four innings but he brought up his milestone with two boundaries through the off side from Ben Stokes' bowling.
Warner had a nightmarish start to the day against Stuart Broad but fought through that to play a knock that took on extra importance given Steve Smith's absence.
'Absolute joke': Boos ring out
Sorry sports fans, but even though the rain has abated the umpires have taken the players off because of bad light.
David Warner (26 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (seven not out) were all too happy to walk back to the dressing room but England loitered out in the middle, clearly disappointed at being told to stop bowling.
More boos rang out from the western terrace as angry fans voiced their anger at being robbed of any action.
English cricket writer Chris Stocks was furious, as were plenty of others.