England [Images] are handing out the same brutal treatment to Australia that the world champions have been dishing out to the rest of the cricket world for years, Adam Gilchrist [Images] conceded on Friday.

Australia's vice-captain, speaking after England had scored 477 in their first innings of the fourth Ashes Test before reducing the touring side to 99 for five, added that the world champions seemed to be caught in a vicious cycle.

• Fourth Test : Scorecard | Images

"England are doing to us probably what we have done to other teams for a number of years," he said.

"It's a challenge for us to be in this sceneario.

"Mentally it's a different area for us to be in and that's pretty taxing.

"It's the ultimate challenge and we are under pressure."

England dominated the second day thanks to Andrew Flintoff's [Images] century and 177-run stand with Geraint Jones. Swing bowler Matthew Hoggard [Images] then took three wickets for 32 as Australia's top order crumbled.

"Obviously the momentum is all with England, it has been for some time now and everything starts to feel like it's going against you," Gilchrist added.

"A bit of sloppiness comes into the field, we start missing the odd chance, we're not bowling quite consistently in the areas we want to so we can build up pressure and little umpiring decisions you think that might normally go your way go against you and all of a sudden it's just a vicious cycle.

"But we'll just keep fighting. There's still lots of life there and there's still a long way to go,.

"It's a funny one, whether it's us not playing well or England not allowing us to play well. It's a difficult one to work out.

"I don't think in my test career I have come across an attack that's working so well together, hunting as a pack."

England won the second test to level the five-match series at 1-1 and then came within one wicket of winning the third test.

Australia have won the last eight Ashes series, a run dating back to 1989.