Day three wrap: Aussies roar at Gabba fortress

England have denied star paceman Jimmy Anderson is carrying an injury despite the 35-year-old showing obvious signs of discomfort on day three of the first Magellan Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Anderson sent a scare among England supporters when he bowled just three overs with the second new ball on Saturday morning before he was removed from the attack and fielded at mid-on for the remainder of the first session.

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He left the field for a handful of overs on more than one occasion after lunch and was used sparingly by skipper Joe Root, although he remained on the field for most of Australia's innings.

Despite the right-armer grimacing on occasions and grabbing at his left side, teammate Stuart Broad laughed off the suggestion that he was injured.

"I don't really know where this mystery injury has come from, really," Broad said. "He's just bowled 30 overs for 50 (runs).

"I've spent the whole day with him and he's not moaned about anything or said he's sore or injured.

"Obviously it was quite hot work out there, we had to rotate bowlers a little bit. A plan of 'Rooty' (England captain Root) was to bowl four- or five-over spells to make sure we're always hitting the pitch."

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Having helped put Australia on the back foot before lunch, Anderson was surprisingly taken out of the attack after just three overs of a probing and successful spell with the second new ball. After his pace dropped late in that spell and he grabbed at his left side towards the end of his third over, speculation began on social media that he wasn't 100 per cent fit, although England said he wasn't injured.

And having come onto the field with his teammates after lunch, concerns eased when the right-armer bowled a solid seven-over spell at speeds in the early-to-mid 130 kilometres-per-hour, his normal average speed.

But having bowled just seven of England's 42 overs after lunch, speculation re-started that he was carrying an injury. And that speculation ramped up when he was shown to be in obvious discomfort when he picked up and threw a ball in from the boundary.

"England are saying there's absolutely nothing wrong with Jimmy Anderson, but I think we've been around the game long enough to know that there's an issue there," former England skipper Michael Vaughan said on BT Sport.

"For him to have not bowled to Pat Cummins with that new ball just before lunch, for him to have not bowled straight after lunch when Australia were seven wickets down. He came back and bowled and bowled OK at around 81-82 miles-per-hour, but you can clearly see he's not 100 per cent."

The match is in our hands: Broad

Anderson broke down with a left side injury in the third Test of the 2015 Ashes series and missed the next match at Trent Bridge, which England won to regain the Ashes.

He suffered a groin injury last May playing in the County Championship, but played all seven Tests in the northern summer this year and celebrated his 500th Test wicket.

England do have a recent history of keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to players showing signs of injury during a match, and their players have shown a willingness in the past to push through the pain barrier.

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Opener Haseeb Hameed batted with a broken finger in the third Test in India late last year and was not sent for x-rays until the conclusion of the match, when the extent of his injury was revealed and he was sent home.

In 2013, Graeme Swann left the field on the final day of a tour match in New Zealand for what was at the time labelled "routine" treatment on a long-standing elbow issue. Two days later, it was announced the spinner would fly to the United States for surgery.

And on the 2012 Indian tour, Broad bowled through the pain of a heel problem for several weeks before it eventually got the better of him and he missed the final Test of the series.

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21