Adelaide: Shane Watson and Simon Katich made a confident start to Australia's bid to save the second Ashes Test, combining for 78 runs and cutting the deficit to 297 at lunch on Monday after England declared their first innings at 620-5 on day four.
Watson was 35 not out at the break, with Katich on 42.
Earlier, Kevin Pietersen surpassed his highest Test score by one run before he edged left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty to Simon Katich at slip and was out for 227.
Matt Prior was adjudged lbw off Peter Siddle in the following over by umpire Tony Hill but Ian Bell persuaded the England wicketkeeper to appeal the decision and the video replay showed the ball missing leg stump.
England declared just 41 minutes after the early start at 10 a.m. local time, adding 69 runs from just nine overs to their overnight score of 551-4. Ian Bell ended the innings on 68 not out, Prior scored 27 off just 21 deliveries.
Andrew Strauss opted against setting a record for an England innings in Australia — the mark stands at 636 all out at Sydney in 1928.
Australia began its reply confidently against James Anderson, who was unable to swing the new ball. Stuart Broad beat the edge on more than one occasion with seaming deliveries as his eight overs went for just 11 runs.
With Anderson failing to threaten with the new ball, spinner Graeme Swann was brought into the attack after just nine overs.
Both batsman had scares in Swann's fourth over, Katich from a mistimed drive just past Strauss at short cover and then Watson inside-edging onto his pad.
Watson enjoyed a similar reprieve in Swann's last over before lunch, leaving the spin bowler visibly frustrated.
Katich, batting in considerable pain from an Achilles tendon injury, went through a stage of 22 balls scoring off just one delivery.
Australia's chances of forcing a draw could be helped by the weather, with rain forecast later on Monday and heavy showers predicted for Tuesday.
