History beckoned for both teams as another day ended in the shadows at St John's, but once again it was Australia that was most likely to create it.

After openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer set a record of their own with their fifth double-century partnership, the West Indies were given the challenge of making Test cricket's highest winning fourth-innings score - 418 - to take out the fourth and last match of the series.

As imposing as the number was, Brian Lara's side was set more than two days to reach it, and steadily made it to 47 without loss in 22 overs to stumps, needing a further 371 at little more than two an over.

But with the pitch still containing bounce for the pacemen and offering increasing turn for leg spinner Stuart MacGill, it appeared that more than a Lara miracle would be needed to surpass the record of 4-406 made by India in the West Indies in 1975-76.

Instead, Steve Waugh would have been confident his decision to continue playing would be rewarded by the laurel of becoming the first visiting captain to lead a clean sweep in the West Indies, and passing Clive Lloyd's world record of 36 Tests won by a captain.

With both teams having ended the first innings level on 240, Hayden and Langer resumed on Sunday at 0-171, and wasted little time in taking their partnership to 200 in the sixth over of the day.

They passed the old record of four double-century partnerships - for any wicket - shared by West Indians Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, England's Michael Atherton and Graham Gooch, and India's Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar.

The partnership became the two left-handers' best at 242 before Langer edged to slip on 111, after which Hayden went on to turn his 14th Test hundred into his third-highest score of 177.

Double-century stands around the top of the order can, however, be a double-edged sword for the Australians, and once again the later players fluffed their lines on the large and luxurious stage built for them.
Adam Gilchrist was promoted to No. 3 in a bid to cure this side-effect of a middle order that performs best when faced with a challenge, but not only was his score of six evidence of a failed experiment, so, too, was a familiar struggle in which the first three wickets fell within 12 overs.

A defiant Waugh made as many runs - 45 - as the seven batsmen either side of him in the batting order to lift Australia to 417.

The West Indies could be pleased with events, especially since injuries forced them to field as many as three substitutes during the day.

A greedy coach might have called this the day's masterstroke in the end, however, after 12th man Marlon Samuels took catches in the cordon to remove Gilchrist and Martin Love, reserve wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh hit the stumps from gully to run out Hayden, and another reserve, Sylvester Joseph, caught Brett Lee at third man.

Paceman Merv Dillon produced the committed bowling that has been long awaited in this series to take four wickets, rising to lead the attack in the absence of injured colleague Jermaine Lawson.

This caused immediate speculation, given that Lawson's action is being investigated by match officials, but the reason provided was that the 21-year-old had strained lower-back muscles.

Stumps were drawn five balls early after Chris Gayle and Devon Smith accepted the umpires' offer on the light in the seventh hour of play.