Australia will prey on England's inability to bowl sides out a second time as it strives to defy history in order to preserve its 75-year unbeaten Test record at Lord's.
Australia faces a world-record fourth-innings run chase over the final two days after England's dominance of the second Test continued on Saturday night.
Even if England declared overnight, Australia will have to overhaul a near impossible 522 runs to win - 104 more than the previous mark of 418 the West Indies ran down to beat Steve Waugh's Australians in Antigua in 2003.
Only two sides in the history of Test cricket have batted for more than 180 overs in the fourth innings.
Australia, however, can draw some solace from England's poor recent record of bowling sides out twice to win.
Twice earlier this year in the Caribbean, the West Indies tail defied England to hold on for a draw.
In the third Test at Antigua, the Windies' 10th-wicket pair of Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards saw out the final 10 overs of the match.
Two Tests later, England fell two wickets short of victory in Trinidad.
Twelve months ago at Lord's, South Africa lost only three wickets in 167 overs, batting for more than two days, after being asked to follow on 346 runs in arrears.
Australia spinner Nathan Hauritz said the tourists believed it could still win the game but stressed occupying the crease would be the No.1 priority.
"If you had have said last week it was a tough assignment for England they would have said that as well," Hauritz said.
"Batting for two days on a fourth- and fifth-day wicket is going to be extremely tough but that's the reason why you play Test cricket for your country."
"It's not meant to be easy and we just have to be positive about it."
On a wicket still friendly to bat on, Hauritz said, overcoming the new ball would be the key to survival.
Confidence was high within the England dressing room it could break its fourth-innings bogey, though wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who crashed 61 off 42 balls, refused to say the home side was in a position from which it could not lose.
"(They're) famous last words," he said. "Everyone's seen and played enough cricket to know that's never the case, however we're in a very, very good position."
"We've played great cricket for three days and deserve to be in the position we're in."