Australia coach Darren Lehmann has admitted that, in all probability, a draw is now the best result his side can hope for in the fourth Ashes Test.
Alastair Cook batted throughout day three at the MCG, moving from 103 at the start of play to 244 not out at stumps, to help England to 491-9, a lead of 164.
Having regained the urn with victory in Perth, wins for Australia in Melbourne and Sydney would have completed a third whitewash in four home Ashes series' but Lehmann accepted that that was no longer a realistic possibility.
"We're 160 runs behind, mate...we'd have to get 450 in a day," he said. "How do you want us to do that? Slog?
"We're just going to be passing them by stumps tomorrow night. So what do you want us to set them?
"We've got to worry about getting past them first and batting well. That's the first challenge and a different challenge for the group, which is great.
"We'll hopefully bat through the day and re-assess after tomorrow, that's all we can do. England scored reasonably quickly, but you'd think we're not going to score as quickly as that.
"We certainly didn't go into the game looking that far ahead (at a whitewash). You only concentrate on this game."
Lehmann also offered words of encouragement for seamer Jackson Bird, who bowled 30 wicketless overs and was targeted by a buoyant Barmy Army late in the day, the fans adapting the "he bowls to the left, he bowls to the right" chant that was aimed at Mitchell Johnson in past series.
"I thought he bowled good spells at times but was a bit wayward at other times," Lehmann said.
"That's the pressure when you're coming back into the game and you're trying to get wickets. On other occasions he was very good.
"It's always tough to get wickets on those types of tracks. You've got to have some air speed and some control. He'll be better for the run."