England might have folded a little quicker than they would have liked in their second innings, but what cannot be denied is that Australia need to chase down a record score to take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes.
Day 3 of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff was just as exciting as the first two days, with runs and wickets coming aplenty as England finished their second innings on 289 all out.
Having earned a 122-run first innings lead, England, courtesy their 289, set Australia a target of 412 for victory. If the Aussies chase down the target, it will be the highest ever in Ashes history.
"In this kind of cricket -- Ashes cricket -- anything is possible," Ian Bell, who finally found some form with the bat, was quoted by the Guardian. "They will back themselves to get close, if not to knock them off.
"If we bowl like we did the first 10 overs today, we will put ourselves in a great position. I believe we have a score that can win a Test match but we will have to work very hard."
The fact that there are two full days remaining does make an Australia win possible, especially considering the ease with which Pakistan recently chased down a massive total against Sri Lanka.
Modern day cricket is all about scoring runs, and while Australia could only make 308 in their first innings, if one or two of their main batsmen click, a win could very well be in sight.
"[We are] definitely still in it," Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who picked up four wickets in the third innings of the Test match, said.
"If we bat two days we'll hopefully have a result go our way. We're remaining positive. There's no reason why we can't dig deep [on Day 4] and day five."
The fact that Lyon was the highest wicket-taker in the England second innings suggests Moeen Ali could be the key man for the home team. Moeen was impressive in the first innings, picking up the wickets of Australia's best players of spin – Steven Smith and Michael Clarke – and if the offie can do that, and a little more, again, England will take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes series.
Where to Watch Live
Day 4 of the 1st Test is scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm IST (11 am BST, 6 am ET). Live coverage of the Test match in India will be on Star Sports 1, while the live streaming online options are on Hotstar and Starsports online.
UK viewers can catch the match live on Sky Sports Ashes, with the live stream options on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports. Australia viewers will be able to watch the Ashes drama unfold on Channel 9, while the match can also be live streamed online on Cricket Australia Live.
Audience in the US can catch England vs Australia Live on ESPN 3, while the action can also be watched via online live streaming on Watch ESPN.
Viewers in the Middle East can watch the Ashes Live on OSN Cricket and OSN Play.
