Ricky Ponting's record 33rd Test century and Michael Hussey's classy 91 have helped heave Australia's first innings to 312-5 at stumps on day three of the second Ashes Test against England at Adelaide Oval.
But Australia still requires significant batting contributions from Michael Clarke (30 not out), Adam Gilchrist (13 not out) and its bowlers as it is 239 behind England's 6-551 declared and 40 away from avoiding the follow-on.
Ponting, 11 overnight, soldiered on to a superb 142, with 12 fours, off 245 balls in nearly six hours, and he received sound support again from left-hander Hussey in a fighting fourth-wicket partnership of 192 in 61 overs that rescued Australia from a wobbly 65-3.
Matthew Hoggard, who finished with 4-76 off 27 willing overs, dismissed Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn early - and Hoggard would have removed Ponting, too, if Ashley Giles had not dropped an overhead catch (and the Ashes?) at deep backward square leg when the Australian captain was on 35 at 78-3.
Hayden did not add to his overnight score of 12. He pushed outside off stump at a Hoggard leg-cutter and snicked a catch to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, and Martyn (11) reached a long way from his body and edged a good, low catch to Ian Bell in the gully.
Ponting was clearly angry with himself when he departed to another standing ovation after edging a catch to Jones off the last delivery of Hoggard's first over with the second new ball.
Hoggard struck again eight overs later when Hussey shaped to let a ball pass outside off stump but edged it onto his wicket. He had hit a six - over mid-wicket off Steve Harmison - and seven fours - in his 221-ball 91, which complemented his 86 in the first Test.
Hussey, when 70 at 226-3, was perilously close to being run out by James Anderson's throw to Jones from fine leg as he attempted a third run after Ponting had glanced off-spinner Kevin Pietersen.
Ponting's 33rd century in 107 Tests put him ahead of Steve Waugh (32 in 168) as Australia's leading Test century-maker and into outright fourth place on the world list - behind India's Sachin Tendulkar (35 in 132) and Sunil Gavaskar (34 in 125) and the West Indies' Brian Lara (34 in 131).
It also was Ponting's seventh century in 23 Tests against England. On Australia's Ashes list, he has joined David Boon, Bill Lawry and Michael Slater (seven), and they are behind Don Bradman (19), Steve Waugh (10), Greg Chappell (nine) and Allan Border and Arthur Morris (eight).
Ponting has now scored 10 centuries in his past 13 Tests, including eight in the past nine. He made 196 and 60 not out in the recent Brisbane Test.
And in his eight Tests in this calendar year he has scored exactly 1200 at an average of 109.9, with seven centuries, to lift his Test aggregate to 9190 at an average of 60.06.
The third day's attendance of 30,075 lifted the match total to 91,854. Figures for the first two days were 31,458 and 30,321.
A Cricket Australia spokesman revealed before play started that Australian fast bowler Brett Lee had been charged with excessive appealing by match referee Jeff Crowe.
Lee ran down the pitch - almost to the slips fieldsmen - as he 'celebrated' what he thought was a catch to wicketkeeper Gilchrist when Pietersen was on 60 and England 273-3 in the fourth over of the second day's play.
Television replays suggested umpire Steve Bucknor was correct in refusing the Australians' loud appeals.
