Australia eye world record chase at Lord's
LONDON (Reuters) - Australia will attempt to add a final twist to a consistently gripping Lord's Ashes test against England on Monday by chasing down a world-record fourth-innings target of 522.
At the close of the fourth day of the second test on Sunday, Michael Clarke (125) and Brad Haddin (80) had added an unbroken 185 for the sixth wicket to take Australia to 313 for five.
Australia need 209 with five wickets standing to break the world record of 418 for seven set by West Indies against Australia six years ago in Antigua and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Coach Tim Nielsen told a news conference on Sunday the Australians were trying to win, not draw, a match at a venue where Australia have not lost a test since 1934.
"We have never talked about saving the test match," he said.
"We like to back ourselves and we think we play our best when we are positive.
"I think that people have forgotten that five or six days ago we made about 700 in Cardiff for about six wickets down. We believe in ourselves. We never lost faith."
Despite Nielsen's optimism, England will still be favourites to break their 75-year-old Lord's hoodoo if the weather holds. Continued...
Man walks into his own funeral.