Australia's Ashes party has been put on hold after Nathan Lyon injured his hamstring and England mounted an unlikely fifth-morning fightback in Adelaide.

Needing a world-record fourth-innings chase of 435 to stay in the series, England went to lunch on Sunday at 7-309 with the required runs now down to 126.

Adding to Australia's concern will be the fact that Lyon has already been ruled out of the match, with his place in the rest of the series also now in doubt.

After diving to save a ball on the fine-leg boundary, Lyon immediately felt for the top of his right hamstring as he went to get up.

The 38-year-old limped from the field, and has since left Adelaide Oval to undergo scans.

All the while, England were threatening to pull off the seemingly impossible and deny Australia taking an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

After starting the day at 6-207, Jamie Smith and Will Jacks got the required runs down to 168 when Australia took the second new ball.

Smith then hit four straight boundaries off Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, before he attempted one wild whoosh too many and skied Starc to midwicket on 60.

That ended a 91-run partnership between he and Jacks (38no), which had realistically been England's best chance of pulling off a miracle in Adelaide.

Jacks and Brydon Carse (13) have since added 24 for the eighth wicket, doing enough to at least keep the Barmy Army interested.

Meanwhile, Lyon's injury looms as a big blow to Australia over the coming fortnight.

After bowling just two overs in Perth and being left out for Brisbane, the Test veteran ripped the heart out of England on Saturday with his fourth-innings 3-77.

It initially appeared Lyon did not spot the hook shot from Smith, before rushing to his right and diving for the ball to save the boundary.

The spinner's injury immediately brought back memories of Lyon's torn calf in the second Test of the 2023 Ashes, which ruled him out of the series.

West Australian Corey Rocchiccioli is the form spinner of the Sheffield Shield and could loom as a chance to debut if Lyon misses the MCG, with Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy also options.