WICKETKEEPER Brad Haddin said Australia suffered a bout of stage fright at Lord's before clawing their way back into the contest at the home of cricket.

With Mitchell Johnson bowling junk and Nathan Hauritz off with a dislocated finger, the tourists looked in dire straits as skipper Andrew Strauss (161no) and Alastair Cook (95) marched the score to 0-196.

But the tourists managed to restrict the carnage as England made 6-364 at stumps on day one of the second Ashes Test after losing 6-137 at one stage.

Stuart Broad remained unbeaten on seven.

Australia had eight players making their first appearances in the baggy green on the sport's grandest stage and it showed, especially with Mitchell Johnson, the paceman pasted for 61 runs off his first nine overs.

"I thought I tensed up a little bit in that morning session, maybe the whole occasion of playing at Lord's got too big for a few of us," Haddin said.

"But I thought late in the day, we started to build rhythm and started to build a lot more pressure in our work.

"It was pleasing to get those six wickets in the end."

Hauritz returned to the field with his middle finger on his bowling hand taped up in the final session but Haddin wasn't sure about Hauritz's fitness.

"We are not 100 per cent sure on that. He tried to bowl there (during the tea break) before with a little bit of discomfort," he said.

"We will see how he pulls up tomorrow morning and give him a bowl.

"But with a bit of luck we can get through the first innings without needing Nathan and give him a day off to let it calm down a lot."

Strauss felt that early on Johnson hadn't quite come to grips with the ground's famous slope that can affect the rhythm of newcomers.

"It looked like Mitchell Johnson was struggling with the slope early and when you get a situation like that early it's important you take advantage of it,' he said.

Having not defeated Australia at Lord's for 75 years, England looked on track for an overdue win as Cook and Strauss put on a record opening stand of 196.

The partnership eclipsed the former national record at the ground of 182 by the legendary pair of Jack Hobbs and Herb Sutcliffe.

Strauss climbed all over Johnson early on, by striking four boundaries in the space of six Johnson balls after the left-hander won another important toss.

Of the last seven Tests at Lord's, six of them have been draws and it looks like another good track for batting on although Strauss thought there was more in it for the bowlers than in Cardiff.

There is a strong chance of thunderstorms on Friday.

Johnson started the long road to redemption by trapping Cook in front to become the fourth Australian left-arm quick to capture 100 Test wickets.

Hilfenhaus was finally rewarded for his efforts by removing Ravi Bopara (18) and Kevin Pietersen (32), who has a great record at Lord's, played his usual eventful hand before being caught behind off Peter Siddle (1-66).

Paul Collingwood (14), the defiant man on the final day in Cardiff, made a meal out of a Michael Clarke (1-12) ball that he miscued to Siddle at mid-on.

Australia continued to chip away as they managed to get the old ball to reverse swing and Johnson produced an excellent inswinging delivery that rattled Matt Prior's (15) off stump.

Departing hero Andrew Flintoff (4) enjoyed a warm ovation but didn't last long as Hilfenhaus had him edging to slips.