But just when Australia's two form batsmen looked to be getting them back into the contest, Swann hit back, as a quicker delivery drew a faint edge from Hussey's bat and Prior took the catch behind the stumps.
He said the Sydney pitch required batsmen to be "more wary" than on typical Test wickets and that Andrew Strauss, who hit 60 from 58 balls, "didn't go out there to enforce himself on them".
Gibbs pushed for a single but Amla was unsure of the run and as both batsmen found themselves at the non-striker's end, Shah was alert with a direct hit to the opposite set of timbers from mid-on.