Marnus Labuschagne pulls off exceptional catch to break Joe Root-Jofra Archer stand in Gabba Test

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne pulled off a stunning catch to break the frustrating partnership between Joe Root and Jofra Archer in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday, December 5. Labuschagne produced a brilliant full-length dive to his right to wrap up the England innings.

Archer joined Root when England were struggling at 264-9. They launched an unexpected counterattack. The pair added 61 runs as England finished at 325-9 by stumps. Their resistance troubled Australia, but the hosts took the final wicket early the next morning with only nine runs added to the overnight score.

Marnus Labuschagne Pulls Off Stunning Catch to Break Root-Archer Stand

On the second ball of the 77th over, Jofra Archer tried to pull a short ball from Brendon Doggett. Marnus Labuschagne sprinted to his right and dove full length. He held the catch cleanly just before hitting the ground, despite losing balance mid-air.

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Watch the video of the same posted by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter) below:

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME SCREAMERS FROM MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE!#Ashes | #PlayoftheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/nF2AkvCDtZ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 5, 2025

Australia needed only a few balls on the second morning to claim the final wicket. Joe Root remained unbeaten on a superb 138 as the players left the field to loud applause.

Root ended a long wait for a hundred in Test cricket on Australian soil after going 29 innings without one. It was his 40th Test century and his 23rd in World Test Championship matches.

Marnus Labuschagne Has Such Good Hands - Jonathan Agnew

BBC Chief Cricket Commentator Jonathan Agnew praised Marnus Labuschagne’s sharp reflexes, adding that it was difficult to spot the pink ball. He also hailed Joe Root’s superb innings, saying Root was clearly the standout performer among all the batters on display.

"Marnus Labuschagne has such good hands. That was hit hard by Jofra Archer, it went quickly and he's pulled off a really good catch indeed there. With the pink ball it's usually quite hard to see but Labuschagne, dived full length to take a really good catch."

"Joe Root, an outstanding innings. He stands head and shoulders above all the other batters."

Mitchell Starc Pick of Bowlers for Australia in First Innings

Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler for Australia. He took six wickets and kept breaking England’s partnerships whenever they started to build. The veteran bowler surpassed Wasim Akram’s 414 Test wickets and became the highest wicket-taker among left-arm fast bowlers.

England finished with a slightly above-average total in day-night Tests. Australia have depth in their batting line-up, and England needed a strong first-innings score, which they managed to achieve.

The pressure is now on Australia to get close to England’s total, especially because batting is likely to become harder as the match goes on. Australia are currently leading the series 1-0, and England must avoid another defeat to stay alive.

Also read: "Victim of politics & favouritism" - Fans hail Ruturaj Gaikwad for his maiden ODI hundred in Raipur