England's Joe Root shared a hilarious moment with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne after the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, playfully suggesting the fielder had used 'super glue' to explain his sensational catching performance.
Labuschagne's Fielding Masterclass Seals The Ashes
The light-hearted exchange came after Labuschagne produced one of the great slip-fielding performances to help Australia retain the Ashes urn with an 82-run victory. The Queensland batsman took a remarkable five catches in the match, with his efforts in England's second innings proving particularly decisive.
As the teams lined up to shake hands after the match on Sunday, Root was seen grabbing Labuschagne by the wrist. The former England captain then jokingly inspected the Australian's hand, quipping about whether he had applied any adhesive to explain his unerring ability to hold onto the ball.
Incredible Diving Catches Turn The Tide
Labuschagne's brilliance was epitomised by two stunning diving catches in the slips. The first, to dismiss Ollie Pope, saw him plunge low to his left to snare a one-handed grab. He then repeated the feat with another breathtaking left-handed effort to remove Will Jacks for 24 runs.
The dismissal of Jacks was a crucial moment, breaking a partnership and swinging momentum firmly back to Australia when England had whittled the target down to 98. Labuschagne fittingly wrapped up the victory, holding a simpler chance off Josh Tongue from the bowling of Scott Boland.
The Secret Behind The Catching Transformation
Interestingly, Labuschagne revealed his epic performance followed a mid-match tweak to his technique. During Australia's first innings, he sought advice from teammates Beau Webster and Steve Smith about what to watch while fielding in the slips.
"I was like: 'What do you watch at third slip?' and he said: 'I watch the ball'," Labuschagne told Kayo Sports. "[Smith] was like: 'I always watch the ball everywhere'. Ah well, looks like I'll watch the ball then."
The change clearly worked, with Labuschagne humbly stating he had merely been "keeping the first slip slot warm" for the ill stand-in skipper Smith, who is expected to return for the next Test.
