An unbeaten maiden Test half-century by Ryan Harris has guided Australia to 9-366 at lunch on day four against the West Indies in Barbados.
The tourists survived a three-hour opening session despite losing four wickets with Harris (60no) adding 81 with Ben Hilfenhaus (24) and Nathan Lyon (16no).
The Windies still lead by 83 runs on the first innings but after having Australia 8-285 at one stage they may be thinking their chance to force a win could have gone.
Resuming on 5-248, Michael Hussey (48), Peter Siddle (0) and debutant Matthew Wade (28) all fell quickly as the Windies looked to try and secure a first innings lead of well over 100 runs.
But Harris and Hilfenhaus first added 44 runs for the ninth wicket before the Queensland paceman was joined by Lyon in an unbroken 37-run partnership which took Australia to the break.
Fidel Edwards (2-84) picked up the wickets of Siddle and Wade while fellow fast bowler Kemar Roach has 3-72 after dismissing Hussey and Hilfenhaus.
Windies skipper Darren Sammy (2-50) could only bowl a handful of overs in the session before appearing to suffer a foot injury and didn’t return to the bowling crease.