Ricky Ponting decodes how Mark Wood countered Marnus Labuschagne's technical change to get his wicket

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for the third consecutive innings by Mark Wood today, even after he made a technical adjustment to counter the England pacer.

Wood seems to have had Labuschagne's number ever since the Boxing Day Test when he had the Australia No. 3 caught at slips for just one run.

In the first innings in the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Wood again had Labuschagne nicking a delivery off, this time to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for 28. In the second innings today, Wood had him again, getting him to nick the ball behind to Ollie Pope - who was keeping in place of the injured Buttler.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting pointed out how Labuschagne reacted to the first two dismissals by switching to an exaggerated back-and-across movement in the second innings in Sydney.

Speaking on a video released by cricket.com.au, Ponting said:

"It was a definite technical change. I saw that at the start of the second innings today. On the back of the way he was dismissed in Melbourne and the first innings here in Sydney, he would have felt that Wood had something on him. He had to change what he was doing to try and combat that. He was moving back and across further. He was also not bringing his front foot into the line as early as he was."

"He nicked it because his footwork pattern had changed" - Ricky Ponting on Marnus Labuschagne dismissal

Ponting went on to explain how Mark Wood changing the angle and going wider made it more difficult for Marnus Labuschagne after his technical change. He explained:

"With guys who move like that, they move across outside the off-stump to cover their stumps. But when the bowler changes the angle up and goes wider on the crease, it feels like the ball is always coming back in to challenge your off-stump and that’s where Marnus got into trouble."

He added:

"And even the one today, you can probably say he nicked it probably because his footwork pattern had changed. If he hadn’t moved that far across, that would have been a ball he could have cut easily. But because he moved so far, that ball actually got too close to him to try and cut and that is why he nicked it."

While Labuschagne did not have the best of matches, Australia rode on Usman Khawaja's twin tons to set England a target of 388. England ended Day Four at 30/0.