Ashes 2023: Australia gifted England the third Test during a horror 15-minute period on day two

Between them, Warner, Khawaja, Labuschagne and Smith have made 82 Test centuries. In this match, they combined for 139 runs across eight innings – and two dismissals stand out.

In one of the most memorable scenes of The Test documentary, Justin Langer subjected his team to rewatching the Headingley run chase of 2019 in which Ben Stokes almost single-handedly won the game for England.

While torturously forensic, it also served as a cleansing experience for the Aussies, who duly won the next Test in Manchester to retain the Ashes, albeit losing the fifth rubber at The Oval, meaning the series was ultimately drawn.

All those small moments - Marcus Harris’ dropped catch, Nathan Lyon’s fumble, Tim Paine’s botched review - could be cast aside.

Those who woke up to the news that Australia had lost another Headingley nailbiter might think that a follow-up review is necessary.

When you have an opposition six down still needing 80 to win and end up losing by three wickets, inevitably questions will be asked about how things went down in the dying stages.

Chris Woakes and Mark Wood celebrate after hitting the winning runs. Picture: Getty Images

Was Pat Cummins too defensive with his fields? Did he wait too long to introduce Todd Murphy? Do they trust their spin understudy? Did the Aussie quicks bowl too short? Should Alex Carey have left a catch off Mark Wood in the final over to Scott Boland rather than try to be Superman?

All are legitimate queries, and in a series as nip and tuck as this one has been, there are countless moments that could reasonably be viewed as turning points.

But while Scott Boland struggled to make inroads, and Murphy was thrown to the wolves at the end of the chase, going through the end of England’s second innings with a fine-toothed comb would not be addressing where Australia truly lost this Test.

Between them, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith have made 82 Test centuries.

In this match, they combined for 139 runs across eight innings.

When taking into account the top four producing such paltry offerings, Australia was lucky to get as close as it did.

And it wasn’t just the raw numbers, it was the manner and timing of some of these dismissals that would leave fans shaking their heads.

The Aussies have noted several times publicly that they feel England have got the rub of the green when it comes to conditions thus far in the series.

Certainly the hosts have had some luck. They’ve won every toss so far and bowled to the Aussies under cloudy skies at various points at all three Tests, including during the extended session late on Saturday afternoon after most of day three was washed out.

But a lot of the damage had been done by then. If there was one point in the match where Australia let the game slip away, it came on the afternoon of day two.

Steve Smith gave away his wicket on day two. Picture: Getty Images

Australia was 1-68, leading by 94 and batting in glorious sunshine on a wicket that both sides said was not turning much. In fact, turning so little that Australia gave its frontline spinner just two overs in the fourth innings.

Labuschgane and Khawaja looked in control, with the in-form Smith, Travis Head and Mitch Marsh all to come.

Ben Stokes couldn’t bowl, Ollie Robinson was dealing with back spasms, Stuart Broad was playing his third straight Test, Moeen Ali’s spinning finger is problematic at best, Mark Wood is injury-prone and Chris Woakes was playing his first Test in over a year. And England was bowling on less than a day’s break.

And then out came the wrapping paper. Moeen, who averages in the 60s with the ball in Ashes cricket, was dealing with an unsightly wound and who conceded he didn’t think he was going to get a wicket on this Headingley deck, took the 199th and 200th wickets of his career in quick succession.

In his own words, they were “gifts.” In the space of 15 minutes, Labuschagne swept to deep midwicket on 33, before Smith spooned one to midwicket for two.

Marnus Labuschagne is yet to stamp his authority on the Ashes. Picture: Getty Images

Probably the best batting conditions of the match against a banged-up attack and tossed away all too easily.

Of course, the uber-diligent Labuschagne and Smith will need no reminding of this. What has become more than nine days between Tests is an awfully long time for two such obsessional cricketers to stew over those sorts of dismissals.

Those couple of shots, combined with Warner’s renewed troubles against Stuart Broad and the return of Khawaja’s tendency to nick off in England meant it was going to take something extraordinary for the Aussies to win the match.

Head and Mitchell Starc produced brilliant second innings efforts with bat and ball respectively, but there was too much ground to make up after those lapses.

With a 2-1 lead, Australia has more breathing space this time around than it did in 2019. Smith and Labuschagne will have the chance to redeem for untimely errors. As for Warner though, there are no guarantees. Marsh’s return century and the likelihood of the man he replaced - Cameron Green - being available for Old Trafford, has left the opener on shaky ground.

Originally published as Ashes 2023: Australia gifted England the third Test during a horror 15-minute period on day two