Marnus Labuschagne stands tall for Australia before losing a battle with Joe Root on a rainy day four in Manchester.
- Daily wrap: Rain and Labuschagne highlight day four
- Scorecard: Check out the stats and full card from the fourth Test
Here are the five things you missed overnight at Old Trafford.
1. Marnus makes his Manc mark
You don’t get to be the number one batter in the world without being at least decent away from home, but Marnus Labuschagne’s Test record on tour has always been a bit off the immense standard he sets at home.
Coming into this Ashes, just one of his 10 Test centuries came overseas — 104 in Galle during last year’s tour of Sri Lanka — and he had passed 50 on six other occasions, including his four straight after coming in as a concussion sub in the 2019 Ashes.
He frustrated and disappointed to start his time in England, regularly falling after appearing set in his innings, including getting out one ball after reaching his half-century in the first innings at Old Trafford.
But in tough conditions, with the pressure on and his team in need in the second innings, Labuschagne stood up with what could yet be a series-saving century.
He looked compact and focused from the moment he came to the crease on day three, and again after the delayed start on day four, barely wavering even when Mark Wood smashed his right index finger with a bouncer.
2.Light finally becomes a factor
In just about every Test of this Ashes series, the artificial light has taken effect at some point of the match.
Under heavy grey skies in Manchester on day four, the umpires for the first time took action, telling England captain Ben Stokes he could only bowl his spinners if he wanted play to continue.
Aware there is more rain on the horizon and still needing to take six more wickets to win, a visibly angry Stokes turned to tweakers Moeen Ali and Joe Root.
Stokes’s frustration was understandable. Only five balls earlier his team had successfully petitioned to have an old, wet, dead ball changed over for a shinier rock.
“A lot less wear and tear on this one. In no way mirrors the condition of the one they replaced,” Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakarra said in commentary on Sky.
It was not the way England would have hoped to use the changed ball, but…
3. Rooted
Conventional wisdom would suggest that not being allowed to bowl expert seam, swing and pace bowlers in low light would be a disaster, but not much is conventional about this England team.
With the rapid Mark Wood, the legendary Broad-Anderson combo and the irrepressible Chris Woakes leading the attack, it was part-time offie Joe Root looked the most threatening bowler of the afternoon session.
After getting smacked for a couple of sixes by Labuschagne, he turned to some of his variations and could’ve had Labuschagne for 93 with an out-swinging arm ball that caught the edge but beat Zak Crawley for pace at slip.
Ultimately it was a relatively innocuous wide ball that made the breakthrough, with Labuschagne trying to force the issue and getting a healthy edge through to Jonny Bairstow just 10 minutes before tea.
Root almost had Mitch Marsh soon after too, but Harry Brook couldn’t hold a sharp chance at short leg.
4. It rains more on day four
After everything that happened through the first three days in Manchester, Australia was relying on rain to at least give them a leg-up on their road to salvaging a draw that could retain the Ashes.
Rumours of a total washout looked a fair way off the mark when the clouds parted after lunch and it appeared we’d get in the best part of two-thirds of a day’s play.
But soon after the players went off for tea, the rain stumbled back into the party like a drunk guest you thought you’d safely put to bed for the evening.
While any rain delays are good news for Australia’s hopes of not losing the Test, it was hard not to be at least a little disappointed that we were robbed of what was shaping of another intriguing session.
5. Marsh holsters his aggression
Mitch Marsh is known as a ball-striker.
His aggression is what makes him a top limited-overs player and can turn Test matches in an instant, as we were reminded by his century at Headingley.
But the big Bison has the technique and temperament to dig in and play classic Test cricket, which he showed on day four.
With survival the name of the game, Marsh was circumspect, save for one wild flick off his pads and into the stratosphere that could have seen him gone early.
His other scoring shots were simply a product of what the bowlers offered him.
He heads into day five having faced 89 dot balls, on 31 off 107 balls, and most importantly, with his wicket still intact.
The 31-year-old who seems entirely comfortable in his own skin is batting alongside the new and improved(?) model, Cameron Green, who looks far from comfortable every time he strides out to the middle.
If he can pick up some of Marsh’s confidence and ability to go through the gears, it will be a boon for Australia not just in this game, not just in this series, but for the next decade.
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