Cricket World Cup LIVE: Labuschagne out to Wood leaves game in ...

WICKET

Marnus Labuschagne carves Mark Wood through gully to get to 71, but next ball the England speedster finds some reverse swing and pins Labuschagne in front of middle and leg.

Labuschagne reviews, but the ball-tracker shows the ball clattering into plenty of leg stump.

AUSTRALIA 5-178

Labuschagne’s composed innings has been central to Australia’s tally but after the loss of two wickets he needed an ally.

Enter Cameron Green, in and out of the side this tournament, who has happy memories of Ahmedabad after making his first Test hundred here back in March.

Occasionally this year Green has looked indecisive, but he showed plenty of intent this time and was soon motoring steadily with Labuschagne to push the total towards 200.

Green was fortunate against Mark Wood, though. In between a pair of boundaries behind square on the off side, Green tried to pull a short ball but saw the bat fly out of his hands as the ball went straight up in the air. But in keeping with England’s tournament, the ball dropped safely.

AUSTRALIA 4-166

There’s been a touch of Test match batting about the way Steve Smith and Labuschagne have rebuilt things for Australia, scoring at little more than three runs an over.

Before the tournament there was some concern about the prospect of these two batting together at a similarly medium tempo, but in a World Cup on a somewhat sluggish Ahmedabad surface, this consolidation is important.

Australia’s plan A may have been to go all out in the early overs, but South Africa have proven with their pattern of steady accumulation followed by a late assault that there are other ways to make a big score in this part of the world.

Mark Wood’s pace has, as usual, created a few hair-raising moments, but England’s review of a not out lbw verdict against Labuschagne results in the loss of a review, the ball drifting past leg stump.

AUSTRALIA 2-82

New Zealand have powered to 6-401 batting first against Pakistan. Should the Black Caps claim their fifth win, the top four teams for the World Cup semi-finals will come much closer to being locked up.

Australia are currently on four wins, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh to follow this England game.

Labuschagne connects with the sweetest of straight drives to get going against Willey.

AUSTRALIA 2-46

After his reprieve against Willey, Warner tries to impose himself against Woakes.

He succeeds in crashing a straight boundary when the bowler drifts full, but a shorter length slower ball coaxes a miscued pull shot. The ball swirls high over Ahmedabad before Willey takes the catch.

Jos Butter had hoped for some early assistance for the seamers on what he called a slightly “tacky” surface, and so far he has been vindicated.

Willey follows up with a tidy, scoreless over against the new batter Marnus Labuschagne.

AUSTRALIA 2-39

David Willey gets one past David Warner, the ball flicking the pad as it goes past the inside edge and through to Jos Buttler.

England elect to review right on the deadline, and ball-tracking shows the ball just flicking the top of the leg stump - Warner survives on umpire’s call. England keep the review.

A single brings Steve Smith on strike, and he glances Willey’s in-ducker past short fine leg and away to the boundary.

AUSTRALIA 1-32

WICKET

Travis Head is undone by Chris Woakes with some early new ball movement, the ball seaming away slightly and inducing a groan as well as an edge from the opener as the ball flew straight to Joe Root at slip.

Head had started with familiar aggression, punching David Willey past point for two first ball and then swinging him down the ground a couple of deliveries later.

The ball plugged into the surface and was kept to two by Moeen Ali - but the next ball got carved inside out over cover and flew to the boundary.

AUSTRALIA 1-13