Monty Panesar lived up to the hype on his maiden Ashes appearance by grabbing a sensational five-wicket haul to see England smiling in the vital Third Test.

A huge campaign was launched to get the Northamptonshire spinner into Duncan Fletcher's side after the sorry tourists slumped to miserable defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide.

The left-armer was finally called up in Perth today and delivered a brilliant display as Australia were dismissed for just 244 on day one as England proved they won't give up the urn without a fight.

They have to avoid defeat to have any chance of hanging onto the Ashes in the five Test series and with Steve Harmison (4-48) enjoying a much-needed return to form, spirits are definitely raised despite losing two quick wickets in their reply.

With arch-rival Ashley Giles finally ditched, Panesar came in and finished with 5-90 after Australia had won the toss and decided to bat.

England also replaced paceman James Anderson with Lancashire team-mate Sajid Mahmood for his first outing of the series but with Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden looking as rampant as ever, rattling off 47 in the opening 11 overs, things looked ominous again.

However, Yorkshire seamer Matthew Hoggard snared Hayden (24) behind to get first blood and then Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting - centuries in both opening Tests - was trapped by Harmison for just two runs as the Geordie paceman finally rediscovered his range.

Panesar was brought into the attack just before lunch, much to the delight of the Barmy Army, and he struck with only his seventh ball of Ashes cricket.

Langer (37) was bamboozled by some spin which dislodged his off-stump and England headed into the break upbeat.

Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke were resolute after the restart before Harmison caught and bowled the latter and Andrew Symonds, playing his first Test in a year following Damien Martyn's shock retirement, was next to go despite a belligerent opening.

He blasted two sixes and a four off one over from Panesar and with Hussey impressively rotating the strike, the pair added 50 off 51 balls.

But Symonds became Panesar's third victim when he attempted to cut off the back foot and instead edged behind where wicketkeeper Geraint Jones took the catch at the second attempt.

Panesar got the prized wicket of dangerman Adam Gilchrist for a duck in the next over as the hosts faltered at 184-6 at tea.

Shane Warne followed despite a quickfire 25 and Brett Lee (10) was trapped leg before.

Harmison bowled Stuart Clark (3) and then got the final wicket of Glenn McGrath (1) to complete a brilliant turnaround for the under-fire Durham paceman.

Hussey remained the mainstay of the innings, reaching an unbeaten 73.

England's reply got off to a dubious start with Alistair Cook (15) and then Ian Bell - to a second ball duck - dismissed by McGrath and Lee respectively in the opening seven overs.

The tourists closed at 51-2 off 14 overs with Andrew Strauss unbeaten on 24 and Paul Collingwood on ten.