Close - England 409 for 8 (Ramprakash 124*, Gough 17*) still need 33 to avoid the follow-on
Mark Ramprakash scored his second Test century, and there were fifties for Nasser Hussain and Usman Afzaal, but Australia were well in control of the fifth Test by the close on the third evening. England still needed 33 to avoid the follow-on, although Steve Waugh may yet decide not to enforce it anyway, reasoning that he doesn't want to bat last on a pitch that is offering prodigious turn.

Australia were indebted to Shane Warne, who finished with 6 for 155 and became the first Australian and the sixth bowler in all to pass 400 Test wickets. He was the difference between the two sides.

England began the day on 80 for 1 but promptly lost Marcus Trescothick to the fifth ball of the day, bowled leg stump by Warne's slider as he shuffled across the crease. He had failed to add to his overnight 55 and England were 85 for 2. Mark Butcher played and missed several times against Glenn McGrath, who was keeping it impossibly tight, but eventually fell to Warne for 25, caught bat-pad by Justin Langer at short leg after being fooled by some late dip (104 for 3).

That was the cue for the first decent partnership of the day, with Nasser Hussain taking charge like he hasn't done in a Test since the trip to South Africa in 1999-00. He drove and pulled Jason Gillespie for five boundaries in four overs before lunch and moved to a fluent half-century in the second over after the interval.

He was cut off in cruel fashion (sound familiar?) when a defensive push off Mark Waugh spun back onto his stumps to dislodge the bails – not so much a death rattle as a death tinkle. Hussain had made 52 and England were 166 for 4.

Where Hussain stopped, Usman Afzaal carried on, overtaking Ramprakash within six overs of his arrival at the crease (despite conceding a 21-over headstart) and finally giving his cocksure demeanour some substance. Afzaal cover-drove Warne for four to bring up the fifty partnership, and his flair seemed to inspire the hitherto scholarly Ramprakash, who took 11 runs in cover-drives from three consecutive Mark Waugh overs.

Ramprakash completed 2000 Test runs and Afzaal jubilantly scampered through for a maiden fifty. But with tea ten minutes away, Afzaal's excitement got the better of him, and an uncontrolled hook off McGrath flew to fine leg where Gillespie clung on. Afzaal out for 54, England 255 for 5.

Still the partnerships kept coming as England stepped on it in a frenetic period after tea. Alec Stewart drove full-tosses from Gillespie and Warne to the boundary, while Ramprakash used his feet to launch Warne through extra-cover and move to the fourth half-century of England's innings.

The score raced past 300, but now Warne struck a sickening double blow in his first over with a ball that was only six overs old. First Alec Stewart was given out caught behind for 26 (313 for 6), although there was some doubt that he had touched a fizzing legbreak. It was Warne's 400th wicket, but he wasn't finished: next ball Andy Caddick was leg before to the quicker one.

Jimmy Ormond worked the hat-trick ball to mid-on for a single, and set about helping Ramprakash towards his century, adding a sprightly 37 for the eighth wicket, a stand that included 17 off one over of full-tosses from Warne. Ormond was bowled for 18 to give Warne his sixth wicket (350 for 8) and it looked odds-on that England would fall short of the follow-on mark.

Ramprakash had 86 when Gough strolled to the wicket, but he treated the nervous nineties with disdain, crashing Gillespie square for four, then hitting yet another Warne full-toss through the covers to move to 99. Steve Waugh tried to unsettle him by fiddling with the field, but Ramprakash duly swept Warne for four in the same over to move to three figures. His joy was unconfined.

England then accelerated in the evening sunshine. Gough pulled Warne's googly for four (he may even have picked it) and Ramprakash stroked Mark Waugh through extra cover. And by the time Gough pulled McGrath's final ball of the day high over midwicket for four, England had sailed past 400 for the first time in the series. And they had scored 150 in the session, almost doubling their tally for the day after tea. The crowd loved every minute.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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