IS THIS THE END OF AN AURA?

AUSSIES CAN STILL WIN THE FIRST TEST BUT HAVE THEY LOST THEIR SWAGGER?

AUSTRALIAN success in Adelaide rests on the shoulders of Shaun Marsh, whom spinner Nathan Lyon says is ready to be a hero.

Whether you like him or not, Australia’s whipping boy has the chance to deliver a knockout blow and play an innings to draw first blood in the first Test.

With local lad Travis Head accompanying him, Marsh made his way to stumps on day four against an electric Indian outfit.

And the Australians are staring at a scoreboard that delivered the only message the batting pair needed to take to bed.

“Australia needs 219 runs to win” was writ large in bright lights — and it’s 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 captain Virat Kohli has won the toss. And after calling correctly on day one, his teammates guided the determined tourists to pole position.

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

The task was set at 323, with time not the problem but history shouting “no way” to Australian batsmen who deserve patience, not pressure, according to 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 only won once.

Before yesterday, 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 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 matchwinner 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 last night.

“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 into 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 unsuited 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 to draw a match. But he couldn’t even stomach a 60-minute fight this time, and “gave his wicket away”, according to great Allan Border.

And so it falls to Marsh to deliver on the message the coach sent by selecting him.

It was only three weeks ago when Marsh was Western Australia’s hero, making 163 not out to chase down 313 and win a match. It was an innings that gave Justin Langer every tick he needed to keep his man.

But that was in the Sheffield Shield, and Ashwin wasn’t playing for South Australia. russell.gould@news.com.au