Australia made a steady start to salvaging the second Ashes Test after England set a massive total when they declared on the morning of the fourth day at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
Australia made a steady start to salvaging the second Ashes Test after England set a massive total when they declared on the morning of the fourth day at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
England ended their first innings at 620 for five leaving the leg-weary Australians 375 runs to save the Test over the two days' play remaining.
At lunch, Australia were 78 for no wicket off 25 overs with a hobbling Simon Katich on 42 and Shane Watson not out 34.
It was England's fifth highest innings in Ashes Tests and their second best in Australia, only surpassed by the 636 scored in Sydney in 1928.
Skipper Andrew Strauss finally called a halt to the run onslaught with Ian Bell unbeaten on 68 and wicketkeeper Matt Prior not out 27.
England lost only the wicket of Kevin Pietersen for his Test best score of 227 in the 40 minutes of free scoring where the tourists added 69 off nine overs.
Pietersen smashed spinner Xavier Doherty's first ball of the day through midwicket for four but he went for a big swing at the next ball which turned sharply out of the rough to Simon Katich at slip.
It was Pietersen's highest Test score off 308 balls with 34 fours and a six and he shared in a 116-run partnership with Bell in 125 minutes.
Pietersen surpassed his previous best Test score of 226 against the West Indies in May 2007.
England have amassed 1,137 runs runs for six wickets in their last two innings in this series.
On Sunday Pietersen became only the fifth Englishman to score a double century in Australia with his first century in 28 Test innings since his 102 against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in March last year.
Australia's plight bordered on the comical when Ricky Ponting and Marcus North came hurtling in for a high catch off Prior at deep midwicket but they both pulled out to avoid a collision and the ball plopped safely to ground much to the mirth of England's Barmy Army fans.
To add to Australia's problems, Katich was limping from an Achilles injury and had to be managed by skipper Ponting in the field to prevent England's batsmen from capitalising on his immobility.
Katich looked in great pain as he hobbled while batting with Watson with Australia hoping forecast afternoon rain may help their cause.
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