Adelaide: Beleaguered England survived their first full day of resistance on Sunday but the prospect of another heavy defeat loomed large heading into the final day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
The Ashes holders were set an improbable target of 531 runs over the final two days to prevent the rampant Australians from charging to a two-nil lead in the series.
The tourists have four wickets left and will go into Monday’s fifth day without their front-line batsmen after a confrontational and tense day’s cricket. Rain is forecast on the final day.
At the close, England were fighting hard at 247 for six with Matt Prior on 31 and Stuart Broad not out 22. They trail Australia by 284 runs.
England had a minor triumph when they passed 200 for the first time in four innings in the series, but defeat looked certain after losing the first Test by 381 runs.
Joe Root, elevated to the number three spot vacated by Jonathan Trott, showed plenty of fight to hold out for 267 minutes for 87 while Kevin Pietersen contributed 53 off 99 balls.
Debutant Ben Stokes dug in and resisted for 90 balls before he was caught at second slip off Ryan Harris for 28 with six overs left in the day. Stokes had an ugly brush of shoulders with Mitchell Johnson in the previous over.
Root (87) missed out on his third Test century in unfortunate circumstances.
The young Yorkshireman played back to spinner Nathan Lyon and got an inside edge that ran off his pad for wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to dive forward and take his 200th Test catch.
Root showed plenty of character in his 194-ball knock with nine fours after coming into bat at one for one in the second over of the second innings.
Peter Siddle grabbed the crucial breakthrough, ending England’s first century partnership of the series when he bowled Pietersen off an inside edge.
And shortly before tea, Ian Bell was on his way back to the dressing room for six after playing an injudicious shot off part-time leg-spinner Steve Smith.
Pietersen put on 111 runs for the third wicket with Root after the tourists lost openers Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry cheaply in the morning session.
It was the ninth time Siddle has dismissed Pietersen in Tests, including twice in this match. (AFP)
SCORECARD
Australia 1st inn: 570/9 dec
England 1st inn: 172
Aus 2nd inn: (o’night 132/3)
C Rogers c Prior b Anderson 2
D Warner not out 83
S Watson c Carberry b An’son 0
M Clarke b Panesar 22
S Smith not out 23
Extras: (b-1, lb-1) 2
Total: (3 wkts dec; 39 overs) 132
FOW: 1-4, 2-4, 3-65
Bowling: Anderson 7-1-19-2, Broad 6-0-19-0, Swann 9-3-31-0, Stokes 7-3-20-0, Panesar 10-0-41-1
England 2nd inn:
A Cook c Harris b Johnson 1
M Carberry c Lyon b Siddle 14
J Root c Haddin b Lyon 87
K Pietersen b Siddle 53
I Bell c Johnson b Smith 6
B Stokes c Clarke b Harris 28
M Prior not out 31
S Broad not out 22
Extras: (lb-1, w-3, nb-1) 5
Total: (6 wkts; 90 overs) 247
FOW: 1-1, 2-20, 3-131, 4-143, 5-171, 6-210
Bowling: Harris 17-3-45-1, Johnson 21-8-53-1, Siddle 13-4-21-2, Lyon 26-7-78-1, Watson 6-3-6-0, Smith 7-0-43-1