England's Ashes collapse revives Australia's whitewash dream Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon lead the Aussie attack on Day 3 of the Fourth Ashes Test at the MCG, tearing through the English order as Australia begin the chase for a 4-0 lead. Nathan Lyon admits reaching 100 Test wickets hasn't quite 'sunk in' yet, and credits his teammates and fellow bowlers after laiming 5-50 on Day 3 of the Fourth Ashes Test. Joe Root has been run out by a brilliant Mitchell Johnson direct hit before Ian Bell was caught by the same man off the bowling of Nathan Lyon in one crazy over that threatened to derail England's push for victory in the Fourth Ashes Test. Alastair Cook has become the youngest ever player to score 8000 Test runs as England stretched their lead to triple figures on the third morning of the Fourth Ashes Test at the MCG. Kevin Pietersen of England (left) and Australia's Mitchell Johnson have a confrontation on the pitch during day three Source: Getty Images AUSTRALIAS dream of an Ashes whitewash remains alive after England squandered a match-winning position on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. Australia needs another 201 runs with all 10 wickets in hand after England lost five wickets for six runs to be all out for 179 in a disastrous last session. Nathan Lyon (5-50) and Mitchell Johnson (3-25) were the stars as Australia rolled up the England tail with ease. At stumps Australia was 0-30 with Chris Rogers on 18 and Dave Warner on 12, with both openers looking untroubled in their eight over, 37 minute stay before stumps. The win is within Australia's grasp after it appeared to be slipping away just 90 minutes earlier. England was coasting at 5-173 - leading by 224 - with Kevin Pietersen and Jonny Bairstow looking in complete control of the home attack. But as he has done all series, Johnson struck just when he was needed to claim Bairstow caught behind for 21. Then Lyon bowled Tim Bresnan for a duck and had Stuart Broad caught at slip in the same over for the same score. Pietersen (49, 90 balls, six fours) fell in almost a carbon copy of his downfall in Perth - trying to hit Lyon for six into a strong breeze. Johnson ended it all when he trapped Monty Panesar lbw for another duck. When added to an earlier mini collapse, England lost eight wickets for seven runs during the innings. After coasting to 1-86 for the loss of Alastair Cook (51 from 64 balls, seven fours), England lost Michael Carberry (12 from 81 balls), Joe Root (15 from 24) and Ian Bell (0) for the addition of one run. Johnson led the way, prising out Cook with an almost unplayable late inswinger, before swooping at mid-off to throw down Root's stumps to leave the diving Englishman just short of his ground. If that was not enough, Johnson caught Bell at mid-off in the same Lyon over. Suddenly England had lost three for one and Australia was back in the Test match. The late collapse evened the odds, and the bright Rogers and Warner stand has put the home side in a winning position. Bell, Ben Stokes - caught at deep mid-off swiping at Lyon when 19 - and Pietersen all carelessly threw away their hands. "I'm not really sure I can explain what happened,"" Bairstow said after play. Naturally it's disappointing not to score big runs, but we have what we have. We're still 200 in front."" Lyon said he did not expect to take a bag of five wickets on a wicket that offered little for the spinners. To turn the game around - we didn't expect that to be honest. But we knew if we bowled in partnerships and kept improving as a bowling unit . . . we could possibly crack open the game,"" Lyon said. The five-wicket haul was Lyon's first on home soil and will hopefully see off his many doubters once and for all. "I didn't really turn many, but to do some guys in the air was pretty good."" Neither Lyon nor Bairstow had anything serious to say about the reason for an on-field clash between Johnson and Pietersen. The pair exchanged words after the Englishman pulled away as Johnson approached his delivery stride, prompting the furious fast bowler to fling the ball to his slips cordon. England's reversal was stunning given it started the day 91 runs ahead with only one Australian wicket remaining. Brad Haddin and Lyon added a priceless 40 runs to reel in England's first innings lead and give Australia some hope. Haddin (65 from 68 balls, seven fours and six) and Lyon (18 not out from 34 balls, three fours) treated another huge MCG crowd to some enterprising hitting to take the total to 204. The pair did a passable impression of Allan Border and Jeff Thomson in that famous last-wicket stand in Melbourne in the Ashes Test of 31 years ago. The four over long-on came after a succession of Jimmy Anderson bouncers with the new ball, including one that Lyon tried to steer over keeper Bairstow's head Twenty20 style. When Johnson and Pietersen clashed in the heated final session, a furious Johnson hurled the ball to his slips cordon after Pietersen pulled away just as the Australian paceman was about to enter his delivery stride. Pietersen claimed he was distracted by movement, prompting Johnson to stretch his arms wide to indicate the broad expanse of white tarpaulin behind his arm. When England's number four hit a single from the next ball, the pair traded words mid-pitch, sending another big MCG crowd into a frenzy. Johnson did not have the last laugh but he did the next best thing, snaring Bairstow. Halfway through the last session England was on 6-174, with Pietersen on 45 (79 balls, five fours) and Bresnan yet to score as England appeared to be pulling away from the home side. Earlier, Johnson's golden left arm struck two telling blows to haul Australia back into the match. Johnson first produced an almost unplayable late inswinger to prise out an in-form Cook for 51, then he pounced at mid-off to throw down Root's stumps with the diving Englishman just short of his ground. If that was not enough, Johnson caught Bell at mid-off in the same Lyon (1-26) over. Suddenly England had lost 3-1 and Australia was back in the Test match. The first to fall in England's dramatic 3-1 collapse was Carberry, lbw to Siddle (1-20 from 10 overs) for a painstaking 12 from 81 balls. Johnson (1-19 from 10 overs) had hauled his side back into a game that appeared to be slipping away early in the second session. Australia's fightback has been achieved against the odds, as Shane Watson is still troubled with a groin injury and Ryan Harris (0-27 from eight overs) appears to also be sore. After two spells of two overs before lunch, Harris did not bowl again until the 35th over. He has spent time in the unfamiliar fielding position of gully and has repeatedly flexed his creaky right knee. But he worked up good pace in a spell before tea, beating Stokes with a ball that left the Englishman off the wicket. After a highly entertaining first session that yielded 94 runs, England went to lunch on 0-54, with Cook on a breezy 41 (46 balls, five fours) and Carberry on a watchful five (50 balls, one four). Cook seemed to have found the form that has mostly eluded him this series, helped by an MCG drop-in wicket that at last seemed to be allowing the ball to come onto the bat. From the very first ball of the innings - which he neatly tucked away for three to midwicket - the England captain looked in fine touch. After lunch he back-cut Watson to the boundary twice in one over. He bent into the second shot at the last instant to give the ball an extra push. It was a fine hand that ended only after an almost unplayable ball from Johnson. If Australia wins, it would be the ninth-highest successful Test run chase at the MCG and the highest since December 1962. No Test team has successfully chased a target of over 200 at the MCG in three decades. Drop-in pitches have been used for Tests at the venue since December 2000.