Day Two of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 5, 2026, saw plenty of fireworks. England captain Ben Stokes dismissed Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne for 48 runs. This happened shortly after a heated on-field exchange between the two players. It was an intense moment in a series Australia already leads 3-1.
The incident got a lot of Australian cricket legends talking. But there hasn’t been any official disciplinary action, which is good. Australia finished the day at 166 for 2, still trailing England by 218 runs. It was quite a day of cricket, honestly.
The Fiery Confrontation on Day Two
The real drama started late in the afternoon, during the 29th over. Travis Head had just hit a boundary off Stokes. You could feel the tension. Stokes chirped at Head, and then Labuschagne stepped in, starting a verbal spat.
Stokes walked up to Labuschagne, put his arm around his shoulder, kind of a pat or a squeeze. Umpires quickly intervened to break it up. Reports, apparently from news.com.au, even suggested Stokes told Labuschagne to “shut the up.” No physical stuff happened, though. Play just resumed.
But the best bit? Stokes got his man almost immediately. Just a few balls later, Labuschagne edged one to gully. Jacob Bethell took a good catch. Labuschagne was out for 48. That was a good way for Stokes to respond. He didn’t need to say another word.
Labuschagne’s Day of Ups and Downs
It was a mixed day for Marnus Labuschagne, for sure. Before all that drama, he actually made a big impact with the ball. He took his first ever Test wicket with medium pace. He dismissed England’s Jamie Smith for 46 just before lunch.
Smith tried a big swipe at a short ball, around 129kph. He just holed out to Scott Boland. Former Australia coach Justin Langer called it “one of the dumbest shots you’ll ever see.” And his teammate Michael Neser said Labuschagne “actually practiced it.” So it wasn’t just a fluke. Neser told The Times of India, “It’s quite hard to get a read on him.”
Labuschagne had been under scrutiny for inconsistent form this series. So his 48 runs were important, even if he didn’t get to fifty. He’s a strong competitor, and he definitely gets under opponents’ skin. Neser confirmed this, saying, “It’s just Marnus for you.”
Legends React to Ashes Intensity
Australian cricket legends had their say on the exchange. Brett Lee thought players shouldn’t touch each other. But he also said, “Was it a squeeze? Was he trying to defuse the situation?… You wouldn’t want to mess with Ben Stokes.” He didn’t see much wrong with it. Adam Gilchrist echoed this, saying, “This is what we expect in an Ashes series.”
Mark Waugh joked about Stokes putting Labuschagne “in a headlock.” It showed the kind of frustration Stokes might have felt. England’s tour hasn’t been great, with batting lapses like Smith’s dismissal. This series was already decided, 3-1 to Australia. So this kind of intensity just shows how much the Ashes means, even in a dead rubber.
Stumps on Day Two: Australia’s Strong Reply
At stumps, Australia looked good at 166 for 2. Travis Head was the star, smashing an unbeaten 91 off just 87 balls. He kept the momentum going. England posted 384 in their first innings. Joe Root actually scored a masterful 160. But Australia’s reply is coming along nicely.
No official word from cricket boards or match referees on the incident. It seems like it’s all resolved. Day Three should be critical. Head will look to get a century. England’s bowlers need to find more breakthroughs. The rivalry is definitely still alive and well, even with the series already won.
Soureesh Datta 
Sagnik Banerjee 
Ishaan Singh