Cricket: Australia in deep trouble

Australia will tomorrow bat to save the fourth Test against England in an attempt to keep the Ashes series level.

The tourists will resume on a perilous 5-99 at Trent Bridge -- still trailing England by 378 runs and with a draw the best thing it can salvage from the match.

On a disastrous second day, Australia's bowlers were powerless to prevent England piling on 477 before the home side claimed five wickets in the final session.

With a win almost out of the question, the best Australia can hope for is a draw -- which would keep the series level at 1-1 and take the series into the deciding fifth Test at The Oval, where Australia could retain the Ashes with a draw.

The massive responsibility of batting Australia out of strife is on the shoulders of two batsmen who have struggled all series - Simon Katich (20 not out) and Adam Gilchrist, due in next.

Gilchrist has struggled against England's reverse swing and particularly Andrew Flintoff's bowling all series, but has vowed to meet the enormous challenge with his natural attacking game.

"I've just to get the process right and get myself into my natural mindset," he said.

"There's no secret that's an attacking style of play.

"I know the plans they're (England's bowlers) going to have - we've seen that - so I've just got to be certain the way I've prepared and what I've got in my mind is going to be capable of countering what they're serving up."

Day two was arguably England's best of the series, as Flintoff made a magnificent 102 and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones 85 in a series-high partnership of 177.

England quicks Matthew Hoggard (3-32), Simon Jones (1-22) and Steve Harmison (1-25) then knocked over Australia's top order, although two dodgy LBW calls helped their cause.

Simon Jones claimed the wicket of Australian captain Ricky Ponting despite him getting a clear inside edge, while Damien Martyn also might have got an edge on the Hoggard delivery that had him leg before although television replays were inconclusive.

Gilchrist denied Australia's decade-long period of world dominance had been confirmed on one day.

"I'm not really particularly interested in making any big statement about that," he said.

"If that's what you think you saw ... I hadn't thought of it like that, no."

But the Australian vice-captain said his side had a massive fight in front of it.

"England have again come out and played consistent cricket for two days again at the start of this Test, so they've certainly played the more consistent cricket than us over the however many days we've had against them," he said.

"So that sees us in another challenging position from which we'll have to work hard to try and tick off a few objectives."

Cloudy conditions are forecast for the next three days.

- AAP