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England have defended their bowling tactics on a largely fruitless opening day of the second Test against Australia.

David Warner didn't understand them; Mark Taylor said they "stink".

But England's camp still defended their bowling tactics on a largely fruitless opening day for the tourists in the second Ashes Test.

Warner made 95 and Marnus Labuschagne is unbeaten on 95 as Australia amassed 2-221 on Thursday's day one in Adelaide.

And Warner admits being puzzled by England's tactics, which included sustained periods of short-pitched bowling.

"I don't know why they were doing that," Warner said.

"The length they bowled here today isn't hitting the stumps."

Ex-Australian captain Taylor, renowned as one of the shrewdest thinkers in the game, was blunt.

"The tactics are terrible. They stink," Taylor told Triple M radio.

But England's assistant coach Graham Thorpe suggested it was the rub of the baggy green, rather than poor tactics, which cost the tourists.

"It unsettled, it gives you an option and a way of attacking," Thorpe said of the short barrages.

"I don't think you can attack like that all the time due to what it physically takes out of your bowlers.

"We stuck at it well. But we didn't quite get the rub today.

"Labuschagne played and missed on probably a dozen occasions out there and on another day if he gets one on the edge...

"And a couple of (dropped) chances for us have led to day one being a tough day for us. But we're not out of it.

"I don't think our plans were too bad throughout the day. If we had bowled poorly we would have gone for a lot more (runs)."

The catching chances went to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler who twice turfed regulation edges from Labuschagne, when the Australian was on 21 and 95.

The basic blunders were all the more stark given Buttler reeled in a spectacular diving one-hander to dismiss Marcus Harris.

"Everyone ... who has played this game drops a catch, is always disappointed," Thorpe said.

"But he's a human being. And it's a bit like being a goalkeeper, a wicketkeeper - you can keep magnificently throughout the day but if you drop a catch, it gets highlighted.

"But we will get around him and try to be philosophical about it as well because I think you have to be. At the end of the day we're playing a game of cricket."