Australia finish day four staring down the barrel of a huge defeat in the first Test

India has set Australia a record run chase in Adelaide, but the hosts are staring down the barrel of a first Test loss following a sloppy batting display. But spin king Nathan Lyon is adamant Shaun Marsh can turn things around.

• Langer hits back at Tendulkar criticism
• Real targets of Aussie woe exposed

Australian success in Adelaide rests on the shoulders of Shaun Marsh who spin king Nathan Lyon says is ready to be a cricket hero.

Whether you like him or not Australia’s whipping boy has the chance to deliver his own knock-out blow and play an innings to secure Test passage until he wants to stop.

With local lad Travis Head (11 not out) by his side Marsh (31 not out) worked his way to stumps on day four against an electric Indian outfit, finally staring at a scoreboard that delivered the only message the batting pair needed to take to bed.

SCROLL DOWN TO RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION WITH OUR BLOG

“Australia needs 219 runs to win” was writ large in bright lights, the difference between going to Perth for the second encounter tails up, or chasing them, hard.

It’s a win or lose situation. A draw should be 100-1.

India has never lost a match when talismanic captain Virat Kohli wins the toss and after calling correctly on day one his teammates guided the determined tourists into pole position.

A six-wicket second-innings haul from Lyon, Australia’s best bowler, and some willing late order Indian batting, was all that stood between the home team and no chance to win at all.

The task was set at 323 with time not a problem but history shouting “no way” to the Aussie batsmen who deserve patience, not pressure, according to the coaching staff.

The highest successful run chase in Adelaide is 315, achieved in 1902. Since World War II no-one has scored more than 239 to win a Test in the city where India has won just once.

Before Sunday’s play those in charge of the home team declared 250 would be a task too hard, so chasing a total that started with a three seems well beyond their reach.

But Lyon declared Marsh was ready to step up and had even drawn on the Aussie spinner’s advice to take on potential Indian match winner Ravi Ashwin.

"Shaun will be pretty relaxed, hopefully he’ll have a good sleep and not overthink things. That can be our downfall," Lyon said.

“I was just speaking to him before, he’s got the belief that he can come and out be a hero, him and Travis. “I think Shaun is quite confident, he may not look it, but he has the belief he is going to be that hero that stands up and wins the game for Australia.”

Lyon went in to bat for opener Aaron Finch who nearly contributed nothing to the fight, before a no-ball allowed him to notch up his first 11 Test runs in Australia.

Finch was undone by what looked another wrong call from quick-draw English umpire Nigel Llong.

He didn’t review it, but Lyon said the third umpire wasn’t going to overturn it anyway.Marcus Harris and then Usman Khawaja played shots not at all suited to the occasion as their rushing blood made everyone else’s boil.Khawaja was a national hero in October when he batted for eight hours in the desert to draw a match for his rookie teammates.

But he couldn’t even stomach a 60-minute fight this time around, and “gave his wicket away” according to Allan Border, the man so many would have bat for their lives.

Usman Khawaja of Australia hits a shot in the air off Ravi Ashwin

So it falls to Marsh, the next most experienced, but oldest player in Justin Langer’s line-up, to deliver on the message the coach sent by selecting him.

It was only three weeks ago too when Marsh was his own state’s super hero, making 163 not out to chase down 313 and win a match.

It was an innings that gave Langer every tick he needed to keep his man. That was, however, in the Sheffield Shield, and Ashwin wasn’t playing for South Australia.

Updates