Ashes 2010: The best pictures from day one of the fifth Test

So here we are at last, the end of the road and the last Test of a long cold winter Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

The news from the middle is that Michael Clarke has won his first toss as a Test captain and chosen to bat first. He looks nervous and fidgety as he talks to Mark Nicholas in the middle Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

England do not tend to deal well with being favourites for anything much, so in a curious way they are as vulnerable right now as they have been at any point since Perth Photograph: TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS

2nd over: Australia 4-0 (Watson 3, Hughes 0) Tremlett will take the second over. His first ball fizzes over the top of middle stump, Watson sucking in his stomach as he plays an exaggerated leave Photograph: Rob Griffith/AP

4th over: Australia 9-0 (Watson 3, Hughes 5) It's an odd feeling to look at an Australian scorecard and not see the name Ponting at No3. It makes the side look fresher but also a lot less intimidating, without any connection at all to the great Australian teams we have seen in the last 15 years. It's been six years since Australia last took to the field without him Photograph: Rick Rycroft/AP

7th over: Australia 13-0 (Watson 5, Hughes 7) A brace of LBW appeals from England against Watson, as Anderson twice hits him on the pads. The first was too high and the second was swinging down leg. The next delivery whizzes by off stump. Both bowlers have had the umpires grumbling in their ears about following through down the middle of the wicket Photograph: TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS

10th over: Australia 14-0 (Watson 6, Hughes 7) Tremlett jags a delivery back in towards Watson, who loses control of his back foot defensive. The ball pops up towards short leg. Cook dives for it, but the ball lands just outside his grasp Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

14th over: Australia 31-0 (Watson 13, Hughes 16) Watson pushes three down the ground and then Tremlett almost gets the breakthrough. Almost. Hughes edged the ball just short of third slip Photograph: TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS

17th over: Australia 43-0 (Watson 15, Hughes 25) Hughes drives two through cover, and the clumps three more down to long-off. This is now his highest score of the series. If he bats into the afternoon this could turn into an ugly day for England Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

18th over: Australia 43-0 (Watson 15, Hughes 25) Anderson bowls a maiden to Hughes, his first of the innings. But it's a rather flat over, all six balls either sailing by off stump or being blocked by the middle of the bat. Anderson turns promptly on his heel after each delivery and stares at the grass as he walks back to his mark Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

WICKET! Hughes 31 c Collingwood b Tremlett (Australia 55-1) England have managed to squeeze in one last over and, oh what a waste after all that hard work. Hughes falls to the third ball of the final over of the session. He didn't have to play at that delivery from Tremlett, it was short and wide, but he lost concentration and flapped at it. The ball shot off the edge and went straight to slip. What a fillip for England Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

30th over: Australia 61-1 (Watson 19, Khawaja 6) There are three balls remaining of the over that Tremlett started before lunch, and they will be faced by the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia, Usman Khawaja. He has a first-class average of 51.70, so clearly he's no Usman Afzaal. He tucks his first ball off the pads for two, prompting the loudest cheer of the day, and then pulls his second ball handsomely through midwicket for four. Shot! What a lovely moment that was Photograph: GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images

33rd over: Australia 79-1 (Watson 28, Khawaja 15) Watson uppercuts Anderson over the slips for four more and then rifles a drive to mid-on. He did the hard work this morning, and now he is going to have his fun Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

Bad light stops play; 39th over: Australia 92-1 (Watson 34, Khawaja 22) "Nasty band of rain creeping up on the radar," writes Lord Selvey. "Here by tea at latest I reckon." And now the players are coming off anyway, because of bad light. Bah Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

WICKET! Australia 105-2 (Watson c Strauss b Bresnan 45) Shane Watson's bizarre run of scores against England continues, and he punches his bat in frustration. He has more hard-luck stories than a Steve Buscemi character propping up a dimly lit bar. Watson pushed with hard hands outside off stump at Bresnan, and Strauss took a good low catch to his right Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Rain stops play. 48th over: Australia 111-2 (Khawaja 26, Clarke 4) We've only seen 59 balls, but this kid has been really impressive. And that'll be our lot for the time being. After five balls of that over, with rain starting to fall, the umpires call for the covers to come on Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

WICKET! Clarke 4 c Anderson b Bresnan (Australia 113-3) Clarke cuts a catch straight to Jimmy Anderson at gully. That's a sorry way to get out Photograph: Rob Griffith/AP

Bizarrely, as Bresnan ran over to his teammates to celebrate the wicket, he clattered into KP and the two of them tumbled over onto the turf like a pair of Keystone cricketers Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

53rd over: Australia 116-3 (Khawaja 33, Hussey 2) The kid Khawaja has cojones, and no word of a lie. He unfurls his whippy pull shot, fetching a length ball from outside off and depositing it over towards backward square leg for four Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA

WICKET! Khawaja 37 c Trott b Swann (Australia 134-4) After poking and prodding nervously at Swann's first five balls, Khawaja snaps and tries to launch a slog-sweep for four Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images

He doesn't catch it correctly, and the ball floats up to Jonathan Trott, who Swann and Strauss had cannily placed at a short fine leg Photograph: TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS

Khawaja has been out-foxed by the savvy Swann Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

So, Khawaja's accomplished debut innings comes to a rather abrupt and disappointing end. Sadly for him it looks as though he is going ton be followed off the pitch by all the other players, because the rain is starting to fall again Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images