Michael Clarke

AAP

THEY couldn't, could they? Michael Clarke (125no) and Brad Haddin (80no) have made Australia dream of pulling off the unthinkable and winning the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Monday.

Chasing a world record target of 522, Clarke and Haddin put on an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 185 to drag Australia to 5-313 and needing another 209 runs on the final day.

Coach Tim Nielsen said skipper Ricky Ponting had told the players before the fourth day that he believed the side could pull off the incredible feat.

"Ricky mentioned it at the start," said Nielsen.

"There's nowhere he'd rather be than here with people not believing we could win, with us having this opportunity.

"Once again we've shown that when our backs are against the wall, good players will stand up and we feel we are good players under pressure.

"We have only spoken about winning the game."

Spinner Graeme Swann said England were equally comfortable with the second new ball only six overs old and their seamers to come back refreshed on Monday.

"I think the balance of power is fairly even, if I am honest," the bowler said.

"For Australia to win this match they are still going to need to break a world record which is going to be a very tough ask."

"I think we go into the day still very confident that we still have a very good lead, it is still over 200 runs.

"It is still a mountain of runs for Australia to climb."

Considering the circumstances, Clarke played the best knock of his career in just over four hours before the day was called to a close 12 overs early due to bad light.

The vice-captain's 11th Test hundred was packed with panache and resolute defence against a circling England attack trying to close out their first Ashes triumph at Lord's in 75 years.

Haddin's status continued to grow as he followed up his ton in the drawn opener in Cardiff last week by sharing in the 286-ball partnership.

The weather forecast is for a mainly fine Monday and Clarke and Haddin's showings have revived the touring side's hopes after they looked dead and buried following some umpiring blunders.

Rudi Koertzen made a couple of howlers early Sunday and fellow official Billy Doctrove chipped in with a blunder of his own as Simon Katich (6), Phillip Hughes (17) and Mike Hussey (27) all departed in controversial circumstances.

But from 5-128, Clarke and Haddin revitalised their side in Australia's highest sixth-wicket stand at the ground against an attack generating plenty of movement in overcast conditions.

Strauss called his players in for a team meeting at 5-287, just before the close, to try to lift his troops before taking the second new ball.

That piece of theatre brought the crowd back to life and the lights were switched on as the sun faded.

But it did not have the desired effect for England and ten runs were quickly peeled off an Andrew Flintoff over.

England must have started to wonder if the tide was turning when Haddin slashed at a wide ball from James Anderson that just went wide of Flintoff's left hand at second slip.

The batsmen were offered the light at the end of the following over and Clarke put his arm around Haddin as they walked off the field dreaming of achieving the impossible on Monday.

The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test history was the 418 achieved by the West Indies in 2003 at St John's.

A more encouraging statistic is that the second and fifth biggest chases on that list were both achieved only last December.