NEW DELHI: Usman Khawaja hit a resilient unbeaten 58 as Australia tightened their grip on the second Ashes Test, stretching their lead to 221 against England before rain forced early stumps on Day 3 at Lord's on Friday.
After England's batting collapse in the morning session gave Australia a 91-run lead, Khawaja led the visitors' in the second innings, finishing the day at 130 for 2.
England's bogeyman Steve Smith was on six when the rain brought the day's play to an end.
In contrast to England's swashbuckling and at times reckless approach with the bat, Khawaja and fellow opener David Warner put on 63 slowly and methodically before Warner was trapped lbw on 25 by a ball nipping in from Josh Tongue in the 25th over.
While it is the first time since 1971 that two sides' opening partnerships have scored more than 50 in the first three innings of a test match, the two teams' approaches to the job could hardly be more different.
Warner's 25 came off 76 balls, a glacial pace compared with England's Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the first innings.
1/10:2nd Ashes Test: Australia add to England's agony on Day 3
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2/10:Usman Khawaja
<p>Australia's Usman Khawaja dug in to put Australia in control against England after the hosts' batting collapse in the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Friday. </p>Getty Images
3/10:Rain plays spoilsport
<p>Ashes-holders Australia were strongly placed at 130-2 in their second innings, a lead of 221 runs, when rain forced an early close to the third day's play. </p>AP
4/10:Khawaja and Smith
<p>Khawaja held firm to reach 58 not out at stumps, with Steve Smith unbeaten on six following his 110 in Australia's first-innings 416. </p>Getty Images
5/10:Traditional Test cricket
<p>Khawaja and David Warner were content to defend in traditional Test-match fashion against the moving ball. </p>Getty Images
6/10:Josh Tongue
<p>England eventually broke through after repeatedly beating the outside edge when Josh Tongue nipped one back to have Warner lbw, leaving Australia 63-1. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Marnus Labuschagne
<p>Marnus Labuschagne was given out lbw for just three, only for the decision to be overturned on review. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Labuschagne falls
<p>Labuschagne, however, was dismissed for 30 when he steered James Anderson to Harry Brook at backward point. </p>Getty Images
9/10:Khawaja fifty
<p>But Khawaja, combining attack and defence, completed a 105-ball fifty, with 40 of his runs coming in boundaries. </p>Getty Images
10/10:Mitchell Starc
<p>Earlier, Mitchell Starc led the world Test champions' charge as England collapsed to 325 all out in a subdued atmosphere at Lord's. </p>Getty ImagesAt the other end for Australia, Khawaja has faced more than 700 balls in the first two tests of this Ashes series.
The visitors will look to set England as big a target as they can as they bid for a 2-0 lead in the series - the only side to successfully chase down a fourth-innings target of more than 300 at Lord's were West Indies in 1984.
England suffered a minor collapse earlier on Friday, adding just 47 to their overnight score for their last six wickets, hitting 325 in reply to Australia's first-innings total of 416.
Captain Ben Stokes (17) fell to the second ball of the day, swishing at a shortish one from Mitchell Starc only to get an edge on it, with Cameron Green reaching up to his right to take a difficult catch in the gully.
Harry Brook added five runs to his overnight score to reach his first 50 in Ashes cricket but then tried to swipe another Starc ball down the ground moments later, instead slicing it high into the air to Pat Cummins for a simple catch at cover.
Jonny Bairstow (16) chipped a simple practice stroke off Josh Hazlewood to Cummins at mid-on, and Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue all fell cheaply, with even part-time spinner Travis Head bagging two wickets for Australia.
Starc was the toast of the bowlers, however, taking three wickets for 33 runs in the morning, having been hit for 55 without a wicket on Thursday afternoon.
"England were in a commanding position and didn't recognise they were on top. They created the risk themselves," their former one-day captain Eoin Morgan told Sky Sports.
(With inputs from Reuters)
