England has edged ahead in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford after Chris Woakes rocked Australia’s middle order on Wednesday afternoon.
Australia is 8-299 at stumps on day one, with Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh each scoring half-centuries as the visitors failed to capitalise on handy partnerships in Manchester.
Woakes, who finished the day with four wickets, knocked over Marsh and Cameron Green in the same over after tea to put England in the superior position at stumps.
The Old Trafford Ashes Test will resume on Thursday at 8pm AEST.
‘BLOWS MY MIND’: WILL AUSSIES REGRET SELECTION CALL?
Did Australia make a mistake dropping Todd Murphy ahead of the Old Trafford Test?
Earlier this week, England’s Moeen Ali warned against leaving out your strike spinner in Manchester, the venue that hosted Shane Warne’s Ball of Century — and the tweaker proved exactly why on Wednesday afternoon.
The first delivery of Ali’s second spell spun sharply, raising some eyebrows around Old Trafford. A couple of overs later, he turned a delivery past Marnus Labuschagne’s inside edge, trapping the Queenslander on the pads for 50.
Stuart Broad claims 600th Test wicket | 01:20
Ali continued troubling Australia’s right-handers on the dry wicket, with his varying turn proving difficult to tame. The 36-year-old’s probing spell would have left Australian selectors briefly wondering whether they made the right call.
“I was surprised they didn’t go in with (a spinner) … if you haven’t got one, you can be found out very easily,” Australian legend Ricky Ponting said on Sky Sports.
“Moeen Ali got one to turn, I wouldn’t have expected that by looking at the pitch this morning.”
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor continued on Channel 9: “Now that Australia are bowling last in this Test match, you would have loved to have a spinner at your disposal.”
READ MORE
‘LET IT SLIP’: Aussies could rue Ashes waste as stars stumble amid epic Broad feat
‘HE CAN BELIEVE IT’: Under-siege star flips Ashes script with absolute stunner
Former England opener Mark Butcher was stunned by the omission, telling Sky Sports: “Australia not playing a spin bowler blows my mind a bit … it feels quite defensive.
“They don’t have the ability then to change it up should things not work with the seam bowlers.”
Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith also slammed the decision, arguing Australia could be left red-faced over the coming days.
“They would never have considered this if Nathan Lyon was available,” Smith told SEN NZ.
“That’s just total lack of faith in Todd Murphy. Absolute total lack of faith, and they might get burned by it if they’re able to get five reasonable days of cricket and the pitch at Old Trafford starts to turn.
“They might get embarrassed and caught short here and level the series.”
However, there is a lingering threat of rain in Manchester this week, and the added moisture won’t assist spin bowlers as the match progresses.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Australian captain Pat Cummins also backed part-timer Travis Head to bowl some spin at Old Trafford if required — the South Australian averages 31.33 with the ball in Tests.
“Even when he started his career with Australia, (Head) was basically the frontline spinner in ODI cricket,” Cummins said.
“I think he’s got better and better … he defends himself well, uses a bit of drift as much as spin, and he’s quite clever. Lot a confidence in his bowling.”
ENGLAND’S BRAVE TOSS CALL COULD DEFY 139-YEAR HOODOO
Manchester’s notoriously indifferent weather had already made its mark on the fourth Test at Old Trafford before a ball was bowled.
The long-range forecast prompted Australia to name their Test XI without a specialist spinner for the first time since 2012, while England went with the same configuration of their bowling attack at Headingley, with spinner Moeen Ali listed to bat at number three to accommodate the middle order.
At the toss, both captains would have opted to bowl first, a decision Ben Stokes took much joy in when the coin fell his way for the fourth time this series.
England would have to defy history to level the Ashes series — no Test side has ever elected to bowl first and win at Old Trafford, making the opening session even more crucial for the hosts.
England made two breakthroughs before lunch but leaked 107 runs as the sun came out in Manchester to bathe the ground in pristine batting conditions.
Bairstow takes one handed ‘worldie’ | 00:33
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was impressed by Australia’s positive intent, not sitting back and getting dictated to in the opening hours of play.
“For Australia once they lost the toss, that first session was crucial,” Ponting said on Sky Sports.
“Were they thinking about only needing a draw? Doesn’t look like it, they’ve come out with great intent.”
Former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy was adamant England made the “wrong” call at the toss.
“Both captains would have done it, which is wrong,” Healy said on Channel 9.
“If Ben Stokes thought I am going to fire up these quicks of mine and really come at the Australians and get that crowd on its feet, it just hasn’t happened.”
Former Australian international Callum Ferguson added: “It’s perplexing to me. They’ve disregarded history altogether.
“In the last ten Test matches, the team batting first has made on average 386.”
With the weather forecasted to intervene later in the Test, Stokes’ decision, coupled with the performance of his bowlers, has allowed the hosts to set the pace.
Despite the favourable batting conditions, England continued to take wickets at regular intervals to disrupt Australia as partnerships were beginning to prosper.
Four of Australia’s middle-order partnerships were over 45 runs (46, 59, 63 and 65) yet couldn’t kick on to “put the series to bed”, according to former England captain Nasser Hussain.
“They’ve been sloppy, Australia,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
“Some soft dismissals, batters getting in, getting out. They could have put this series to bed by batting well today.
“It’s a good pitch.”
Broad fires early taking Uzzie | 00:35
MARNUS’ ‘SOFT DISMISSAL’ AFTER FINDING GOLDILOCKS STANCE
Marnus Labuschagne was in the midst of the longest century drought of his Test career heading into the Old Trafford contest, going 20 consecutive knocks without reaching triple figures.
The Australian No. 3 had not even passed fifty in eight innings since the start of the World Test Championship final against India, a worrying slump for the typically prolific Queenslander.
He’s been guilty of needlessly throwing his wicket away, most noticeably during the second innings at Lord’s and Headingley. The dismissals were uncharacteristic for Labuschagne, who has looked a shadow of his former self over the past six weeks.
“He’s just getting starts and getting out,” Australian teammate Usman Khawaja said this week.
“It sucks … but I expect him to get big runs in the next couple of games.”
Marnus ‘slightly disappointed’ by no ton | 00:37
Unfortunately for Labuschagne, he once again fell to a soft dismissal after making a useful start on day one of the Old Trafford Test — he reached his half-century in 114 balls but fell victim to England spinner Moeen Ali on his very next delivery.
Ali, coming from over the wicket, turned an innocuous off-break into the right-hander’s pads, with England successfully reviewing the LBW decision. Labuschagne dropped to his haunches when three lights appeared on Hawkeye, rubbing his face in disbelief as he trudged off.
“He has to be so sore with himself … gets to fifty and misses a ball he should never miss when you are in and batting for two or three hours,” former England captain Michael Atherton said on Sky Sports commentary.
“That is a soft dismissal … much in the same way that Labuschagne rather gifted his wicket at Headingley, he has done it again here at Old Trafford.”
Australian legend Ricky Ponting continued: “Slightly lazy from Labuschagne … there was no way in the world that ball should get you out.”
Labuschagne has been maniacally tinkering with his batting stance throughout the series, as documented by the Sky Sports commentators during the Headingley Test — the constant technical changes suggest he has lost trust in his game.
The 29-year-old continued experimenting ahead of the Old Trafford Test, spending more time in the nets than any of his teammates — Australian captain Pat Cummins joked he should move his hotel pillows towards the training facility.
Labuschagne took guard several times before his first ball at Old Trafford on Wednesday, settling on what can be considered his Goldilocks stance — starting on middle stump with a trigger movement across the crease.
Unlike the series opener at Edgbaston, where Labuschagne was guilty of fishing at outswingers outside off stump, he left the Dukes ball regularly and confidently, allowing harmless deliveries to sail through.
Labuschagne played second fiddle during partnerships with David Warner, Steve Smith and Travis Head, allowing his teammates to dictate the tempo as he nudged and nurdled at the other end.
He was also noticeably more confident against Mark Wood — at Headingley, he scored two runs from 42 balls against the England quick, while on Wednesday he managed 19 off 29 deliveries.
‘CALM DOWN’: WARNER IS ‘ALL OVER THE PLACE’
After twin failures during the third Ashes Test at Headingley, Australian opener David Warner fell victim to Chris Woakes for 32 (38) on day one at Old Trafford.
Moments after the drinks break on Wednesday morning, the left-hander looked to press Woakes through the covers, instead edging behind to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. He threw his head back in frustration before marching towards the sheds.
Warner signalled his intent early in Manchester, thumping the first delivery of the match through the covers for a boundary. The 36-year-old, who vowed to maintain his aggressive mindset throughout the series, wasn’t afraid to attack anything wide, scoring the majority of his runs through point.
“If you fear failure, I reckon you will fail,” Warner told the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast this week.
“I have never feared failure, so I feel every game I go out thinking it could be my last. When you open the batting, you are going to get out, and you could get out first ball of the game, so I have had that instinct of backing myself and playing my way.”
Warner has reached fifty once in nine knocks on this Test tour, averaging 24.11 since the start of the World Test Championship final against India.
Speaking on Channel 9, former England cricketer David Lloyd called for Warner to “calm down” in the middle, pleading for the New South Welshman to bat with less urgency.
“He is frantic. I don’t get it,” Lloyd said.
“He is a wonderful player. He is 36 years of age. He’s seen it all, done it all. I think he should be so calm at the crease, and he looked skittish. He is all over the place at the crease.
“It’s a long day opening the batting. Set your stall out, that’s the way to do it. It will get easier this afternoon, no doubt.”
Lloyd also said he would have dropped Warner for reserve opener Marcus Harris after the Headingley Test.
“I am outside looking in. I don’t know what he is like in the rooms, but I would have thought his time was up after the last game, and Marcus Harris would have come in. Stuart Broad is all over him,” Lloyd continued.
“I can’t get away from the fact that he is 36 years of age. Calm down, just calm down a bit.”
‘TOO EARLY FOR THAT’: PUNTER BAFFLED BY AUSSIES TACTIC
Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting was absolutely baffled when Alex Carey started farming the strike on day one of the Old Trafford Test, with the wicketkeeper looking to prevent England quick Mark Wood from bowling to the tail.
Mitchell Marsh’s departure left Australia in a spot of bother at 7-255 on Wednesday afternoon, with Mitchell Starc joining Carey in the middle.
The following over, Carey creamed a short ball from Wood towards deep point for what should have been a regulation single — but the pair didn’t bother running between the wickets. Boos echoed around the Manchester venue in response to the ignored single.
Carey, unbeaten on 1 at the time, continued trying to keep strike against Wood, who had ripped through Australia’s tail during the first innings at Headingley. It allowed England to spread the field, preventing Carey from scoring boundaries.
Since the start of 2022, Starc has averaged 6.00 against Wood in Tests, dismissed four times in 46 deliveries.
Ponting argued that Starc’s batting didn’t warrant such treatment — the left-hander averages 26.62 with the bat in England, which is higher than David Warner’s equivalent figure, and has ten Test fifties to name.
“It’s too early for that, as far as I’m concerned. Mitch Starc can bat. Pat Cummins in next, he can bat. I think Carey has to put some trust in Starc and Cummins,” Ponting said on Sky Sports commentary.
“We saw Pat Cummins at Edgbaston do a really good job to get Australia over the line. They can still ink out tail-end runs. Looking back in the first three games, they’ve been very important at different times.
“The tail-end runs now for Australia in this first innings are going to be crucial.”
Starc backed up Ponting’s remarks, surviving to stumps unbeaten on 23 — incredibly, the left-hander currently averages 157.00 with the bat at Old Trafford.