Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad‘s mind games against Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne worked to the tee on Day 2 of the ongoing 5th and final Ashes 2023 Test at The Oval.
In Australia’s first innings, Marnus Labuschagne had dug in and dug in hard, playing a Cheteshwar Pujara-like innings, scoring 9 runs off his first 81 balls with no boundary.
England, who will have to win this Test match to end the series on a 2-2 draw and avoid the ignominy of losing a home Ashes series for the first time since 2001, were desperate to knock over Labuschagne, who had found back his best mojo in the previous Test when his century helped Australia survive and draw the Manchester Test, thus retaining the Ashes Urn.
Even as Labuschagne wasn’t scoring today, England knew he could get going just at any moment and that would put the hosts under big pressure.
Cue Stuart Broad. With Labuschagne looking like an immovable object, Broad brought out some of his artistry to play some mind games with the Australian number 3 batter.
Stuart Broad’s mind games got rid of Labuschagne:
In the middle of an over from Mark Wood ahead of Lunch, with Labuschagne on strike, Stuart Broad went to the striker’s end and removed the bails! He then flipped the bails, swapping the leg and off bails. The two batters in the middle, Labuschagne and Khawaja, both were unhappy and confused with Stuart Broad’s antics They didn’t know what Broad was doing: playing with their minds.
The very next ball from Wood, which was Labuschagne’s 82nd ball facing, he outside edged the ball and Joe Root took an incredible one-handed catch at first slip to bring Labuschagne’s down in this innings.
Stuart Broad came charging in from his fielding position and had a bit of word with Khawaja at the non-striker’s end before going into the huddle with his teammates. He was elated.
Here, watch the video of the events unfolding:
𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲: Stuart Broad
𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Mind Games ExtraordinaireIncredible, Broady 😂👏 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/MdeuNgrN2F
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 28, 2023
