Australia in dire straits at Lord's

Australia are in an embarrassing free-fall as their bid to save the second Test at Lord's reached crisis point on day four.

The tourists are 3-48 at lunch, requiring an impossible target of 583 with seven wickets in hand.

Michael Clarke (11) and Usman Khawaja (8) are at the crease, but it's only a matter of time until England take a 2-0 lead in the Ashes series.

Based on the hapless performances of Australia's batsmen, the prospect of England winning the back-to-back Ashes campaigns 10-0 is growing steadily more likely.

When Australia's final wicket falls at Lord's it'll mark their sixth straight Test loss.

Defeat in the third Test at Old Trafford would equal Australia's worst-ever losing streak.

Australia lost 3-12 in the first session, after England had earlier declared at 7-349.

The target of 583 has never been achieved by any team in Test cricket, let alone this floundering batting order.

Survival was Australia's only hope, and that possibility virtually ended when Shane Watson (20), Chris Rogers (6) and Phil Hughes (1) all fell before the score reached 40.

It was groundhog day for Australia's openers - with Watson yet again out lbw and Rogers bamboozled by Graeme Swann.

The England spinner then trapped Hughes lbw for figures of 2-10.

Watson's lbw to James Anderson (1-23) was his third straight this series and the 24th out of 77 innings in his career.

Percentage wise, Watson has been out leg before wicket more often than any batsman to have played the game.

On this occasion at least, Watson decided to walk off without wasting a review trying to save himself.

Three overs later Rogers left a Swann ball that he thought would spin out.

But it went straight and the left-hander was bowled.

In the first innings, Rogers missed a waste-high full toss from Swann that had him given out lbw - even if replays showed it was missing leg.

England's decision to continue batting on day four was strange, given they already had Australia by the throat.

The plan was aborted less than 20 minutes in, when Joe Root's bid for a 200 was ended on 180 attempting a reckless ramp shot.

Ryan Harris took the wickets of Root and Jonny Bairstow to finish with seven for the match.