CARDIFF: Ian Bell insisted England would be anything but complacent despite leaving Australia with a mountain to climb to win the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on Friday.

Australia, who hold the Ashes after whitewashing England 5-0 on home soil in 2013/14, will need a mammoth 412 runs to win in the remaining two days at Sophia Gardens.

The highest fourth innings total to win any Ashes Test was Australia's 404 for three at Headingley back in 1948 when Arthur Morris scored 182 and Donald Bradman, widely regarded as cricket's greatest batsman, made 173 not out.

However, experienced batsman Bell, who returned to form with a fluent 60 in England's second innings 289 on Friday, said: “In Ashes cricket, anything's possible.

“I'm sure they'll back themselves to come and get close, if not knock it off, so we know we've got a lot of hard work to do.

“If we bowl like we did in the first 10 overs today (Friday), we'll put ourselves in a great position,” added Bell, having seen England's pacemen capture Australia's last five first-innings wickets for 44 runs in a total of 308 all out made in reply to the hosts' initial 430.

Bell came in on Friday with England wobbling at 22 for two, having managed just 56 runs in total in his nine previous Test innings.

But the 33-year-old batsman, appearing in his 111th Test, responded with a stylish 89-ball innings including 11 fours.

Together with first-innings century-maker Joe Root, who also made 60, Bell put on 97 for the fourth wicket on Friday.

Bell, who had gone off the boil in dramatic fashion following his 143 against the West Indies in Antigua in April admitted he had feared for his England future.

“There's no doubt I've been concerned,” Bell said. “It's been a testing period for me.

“The last four or five Test matches ... you have to dig deep sometimes, look right inside, and I had to work really hard.

“This is an incredible game — it's always testing you.

“From that hundred in Antigua, then all of a sudden it's been tricky.” He added: “I knew this knock was going to be very important individually ... but that's irrelevant. It's about getting a total to win a game of cricket.”

‘Australia can emulate Bradman and 1948 team’

Australia need the same heroics over the remaining two days in Cardiff just to save the first test of 2015, let alone get anywhere near the victory target of 412, if they are to deny the home team drawing first blood in the series.

England ended day three in command but spinner Nathan Lyon, who took four for 75 in England's second innings, said the game was not yet over.

“If we bat two days we win the game,” he told a news conference.

“We've got to learn from our first innings especially our batters aiming to be more hungry at the crease ... turn 30s into big hundreds. Definitely a chance.”

Australia's hopes of getting close to England's first innings 430 evaporated on Friday morning when they lost five wickets in adding 44 runs to their overnight total.

That meant a deficit of 122 and England again batted positively the second time around to pad their lead although Lyon and Australia's pacemen did enjoy some success late in the day to bowl the hosts out for 289.

Lyon said there was no doom and gloom in the Australian dressing room.

“Tomorrow is a new day of cricket, the sun will come up. We get to start fresh with our batters, get mentally switched on from ball one,” he added.

“Records are made to be broken. We are remaining positive.

“We have a world class batting line up, we bat right down to 11 so there is no reason why we can't get these runs, if we play properly, get hungry in our top order, make some big partnerships.”