Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad made a cheeky bail change on day 2 of the final Ashes at the Kia Oval that acted as a precursor to a big moment for the hosts. Following that very moment, Marnus Labuschagne edged one to first slip, ending his rearguard of 82 deliveries, but only for 9 runs.
The incident occurred in the 43rd over of the day as Labuschagne looked to defend one that had extra bounce. However, the right-hander's bat produced a thick edge and Joe Root pouched it with one hand to give Mark Wood his first wicket of the innings. Only a ball before that, Broad switched the bail for an unknown reason.
Labuschagne had played excellently on day 1 after Chris Woakes dismissed David Warner for 24. He took Australia to 61-1 alongside Usman Khawaja as Australia trailed by 222 runs. Despite missing a few catches, the tourists managed to limit England to 283 as Harry Brook top-scored with 85.
Australia take a narrow lead:
At the time of writing, the tourists trailed by only 5 runs even as they risked conceding over 100 runs. After losing only 1 wicket in the first session, Australia lost five in the next session, including the well-set Usman Khawaja for 47.
Steve Smith forged a handy half-century stand with captain Pat Cummins to take his side closer to the lead before falling for 71. The tourists need to avoid a defeat at the Kia Oval to win their first away Ashes series since 2001.
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