Ashes: Marnus Labuschagne, rain keep England at bay in fourth Test

It was a call from the umpires about dying light in Manchester and their instruction to Ben Stokes that only spinners would be allowed to bowl that turned the day rather dramatically.
For 17 overs until then, after the opening session was washed out rains, England seamers were disciplined but were unable to break the Australian resolve. Suddenly, Joe Root began to weave a smart cocktail of off breaks and fore-finger triggered away-curlers, and Mooen Ali, still waging a battle with his grip and control, produced enough drifting floaters to keep the batsmen on tenterhooks. Then, Root removed Marnus Labuschagne to press England ahead before clouds opened up again to dampen out the rest of the day. As things stand, after 135 minutes and 30 overs on fourth day, Australia trail 61 runs with five wickets intact and Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green still in. Game, series, reputations on line as the fourth Ashes Test heads to the final day with dire forecast for more rains.

Is there ANYTHING this man can’t do!?
Joe Root gets the breakthrough. COME ON! 💪 #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/EFmDIex5pU
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 22, 2023
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Marnus Labuschagne with a well-made 111 and Mitch Marsh had refused to surrender in the afternoon and due to the context of the game and the series, it was a taut tantalising affair though there were no real demons in play.Careful to play on the front foot, and the roller in the morning possibly preventing any low-bounce shocks off the turf, Labuschagne and Marsh were ultra-vigilant.
Pretty early in the piece, when Marsh went for an expansive pick-up shot that dropped just out of reach from Mooen Ali at deep square-leg, former England captain Michael Atherton piped up: “Imagine getting holed out like this in an Ashes game you have to save, and have to bat just couple of hours before rain comes!” Marsh tightened up thereafter in the middle, and Labuschagne, who has had a below-par series until this game, erected their wall of resance.
Even though there wasn’t much happening, the context was enough for an absorbing encounter: an ever-eager crowd, ambitious English players, fighting Aussies found a way to keep everyone hooked.

We’re halfway there again but on the pitch with 8,500 people 🎺#Ashes pic.twitter.com/E8oG0NEdzR
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 22, 2023
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The one possible ray of light for the pacers on this still-good-pitch was the variable bounce on offer from the pavilion end in particular. In the morning, ahead of the start, Jonny Bairstow would get down on his knees and peer at the surface exactly 6.63 metres from the stumps at the spot from where a Josh Hazlewood grubber had rolled at ankle height to take out Joe Root on Friday. Could that spot be identified and turned into a weapon?
Perhaps, it was the roller pressed on the turf in the morning, there wasn’t much of a surprise from that spot. Not that the England seamers tried too hard. Mark Wood, who had his problems with the landing spot, pouring in heaps of saw dust, probed with his short stuff or full. Neither worked. Chris Woakes tried his impeccable length; that didn’t work. James Anderson who could have tried for that spot was more fuller than normal. All undoubtedly looking to see if they can extract some movement. Stuart Broad tried that length but without the sun ever coming out, the pitch held together well.
It was then that the umpires had a word with Stokes about the light. Out came Mooed Ali and Joe Root. In his second over of the day, Root would show he was going to be the bigger threat of the two, when he pressed his forefinger on the seam and surprised Labuschagne with a lovely away-curler. Caught unawares, Labuschagne prodded on the front foot, edging it but it went too fast for Zak Crawley to react at first slip. But it was a little-big-moment in the play.

🔊 Alexa, make me feel sad.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/l9Ayy77Div
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 22, 2023
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England started to crowd the batsmen with close-in fielders as Root went through his full armour: the high-arm release when he wanted the bounce, the odd away-curler of an arm ball, the twed-seam release for a shadow of a leg break, the round-arm skidders.
Labuschagne who had fallen tamely to a regulation off break from Mooen in the first innings was switched on. He had tonked Root for a couple of sixes early on, prior to the fore-fingered curler, and then though he turned cautious, was tight in defense. One could, however, sense a bit of tightness, caginess perhaps, as Root kept on the pressure.
When he saw a ball a tad short outside off, Labuschagne unwinded for the cut. Make. Edged and gone, with a bit of help from DRS taken England.
Moeen too began to find his rhythm – not as good as it can be but better than Friday for sure. On the last ball before tea, he had a shout for a slip catch against Cameron Green, who too has been poor with the bat this series, but there was no bat- just the pads. Pretty soon, the rains returned and that was that. Will the elements relent to open up a portal of play on the final day?