England deserved more on a topsy-turvy opening day under the Canberra sun, as Australia recovered from 3-43 after being asked to bat, to post 7-327.

A 169-run fourth-wicket stand between Lanning (93) and veteran opener Rachael Haynes (86) took control of the match, before Ashleigh Gardner (56) and Tahlia McGrath (52) produced an 84-run sixth-wicket stand. McGrath was dismissed on the final ball of the day, giving England a tiny glimmer of hope to cling to overnight.

"Meg and I just spoke about leaving but with intent, still looking to score but getting the bowlers to come to us a little bit more and obviously trying to have a really good partnership," Haynes said.

"It wasn't the ideal start but I think we rallied really well and to not lose a wicket in that middle session - it set up the back end of the day.

"It was disappointing we both got dismissed at the same time because it just opened the door a little bit."

It might have been so different had a luckless England grasped its chances after captain Heather Knight's brave decision to bowl first.

Lanning should've gone for 14 in the last over before lunch, when left-arm tweaker Sophie Ecclestone produced a flighted ball that flicked the outside edge before spilling from Knight's hands at first slip.

But the key moment in Lanning's highest career Test knock fell to the Decision Review System, making its debut in the women's game this series.

English debutant Charlie Dean, the 162nd woman to be awarded a Test cap for her country, produced a ball that appeared to bounce off Lanning's forearm and into the clutches of Knight.

England appealed for caught, and also for leg before wicket.

Slow-motion footage showed the ball struck Lanning on the wrist, but the third umpire wasn't convinced it brushed the band of her glove, even if it did appear to move slightly after further replays.

As it turned out, the ball would have bounced over the stumps so the LBW appeal was also rendered useless.

Just a few overs earlier Haynes could have departed on 43 but was dropped by a diving Nat Sciver at a wide second slip. The pair went on to score an unbeaten 120 in the second session.

Sciver (3-41) and Knight finally combined to remove Lanning just seven runs shy of her century after putting on 169 fourth-wicket runs with Haynes, who departed moments after her captain.

Tireless 36-year-old Katherine Brunt (3-52) did the damage on this occasion, producing an unplayable bouncing ball that almost splintered the shoulder of Haynes' bat on its way into the gloves of wicketkeeper Amy Jones who took her fourth catch of the innings.

"No one means to drop chances, all the bowlers can do is create them and we have to take them," Sciver said.

"The bowlers worked really hard for us today. We're frustrated with the dropped catches and maybe a little bit of a lack of energy in the middle session.

"It can be a little bit frustrating ... [it's the] ups and downs of Tests."

Knight's decision to bowl first was quickly vindicated as Alyssa Healy fell for a duck, before Beth Mooney's return from a broken jaw 10 days ago produced just three runs.

Then Sciver claimed Test cricket's biggest scalp when she had Ellyse Perry caught for 18, but Lanning and Haynes wrestled back control for Australia before Gardner and McGrath cashed in late on.

The home side's challenge now is to take 20 English wickets, after the shock omission of swing bowler Megan Schutt in favour of leg spinner Alana King. Selectors indicated they'd rested Schutt with the March World Cup in New Zealand in mind.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: