After Australia lost both their openers for 38 runs, Labuschagne and Steve Smith got in to weather the storm. They both took a cautious approach, with Smith resorting to an exaggerated back and across trigger movement, having struggled to find form in the series.

The hosts steadily moved to 69-2 after 32 overs. Siraj bowling the next over conceded a leg bye, bringing Labuschagne on strike. He then bowled a fullish ball and walked towards the batter to have a chat before switching the bails at the batter’s end. A bail fell in the process and Labuschagne was quick to place them in the original position. The trick worked for India, albeit six balls later.

On the second ball of the 34th over, Nitish Kumar Reddy tempted Labuschagne to drive through the covers with a full and wide ball outside off stump. The ball took the edge of his bat as the Australia No.3 was caught at second slip by Virat Kohli. Labuschagne's 55-ball vigil came to an end as he departed for 12.

Also read: Mohammed Siraj walks off injured mid-over on second morning of Gabba Test

England impressed early with the ball but faced stiff resistance from New Zealand’s final batter in Hamilton.

O'Rourke, a consistent obstacle this series, has faced 112 balls and been dismissed only twice in five innings.

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/i8rVrMAPvo pic.twitter.com/Q2iLQBpJHQ

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 15, 2024

The ploy is a trademark of former England fast bowler Stuart Broad. During his last Test in the 2023 Ashes, he used the trick twice, gaining an advantage on both occasions. Coincidentally Labuschagne was at the receiving end on the first instance as he was dismissed off the very next ball after Broad swapped the bails. Todd Murphy was the other victim of the trick as he nicked off at the fag end of the fourth innings.

Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.