'Looks our next captain': Fans hail in-form Aussie Ashes hero

Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne has cemented his cult hero status with a brilliant response to England’s brutal start to the fourth Ashes Test.

Stuart Broad had the Aussies reeling after a removing his Ashes ‘bunny’ David Warner for a second ball duck, before sending Marcus Harris packing for 13.

The demise of the opening pair continued a worrying pattern for Australia this series.

However, with Labuschagne and Steve Smith at the crease, the visitors muscled their way back into the contest in style.

The Aussies were reeling after resuming at 2-28 after the drinks break.

However, as he's done so consistently since coming on as Smith's concussion substitute in the second Test, Labuschagne thrived under the pressure.

The classy right-handed batsman not only weathered the early English onslaught, he added some superb stroke play to boot.

Labuschagne went into the lunch break agonisingly short of a fourth half century this series, stuck on 49 runs.

However, his measured innings and cool consistency saw fans hailing him as a potential future captain.

Broad removed both openers in a superb opening spell before Smith and Labuschagne wrestled momentum back in an absorbing start to the high-stakes contest, which comes with the series level at 1-1.

Smith comes through Archer reunion unscathed

Test cricket is full of contests within the contest but none in this series have been as eagerly anticipated as the return bout between Smith and Jofra Archer.

Smith passed an early examination from Archer with flying colours as Australia reached 2-98 at lunch on day one at Old Trafford.

The 30-year-old, marking his Test return from concussion, and Labuschagne were unbeaten on 28 and 49 respectively at Wednesday's meal break after Tim Paine opted to bat and confirmed Mitchell Starc's recall.

The pair, having top-scored for Australia in every Test innings of this series, steadied after Warner extended his miserable run against Broad.

Smith, donning a neck protector for the first time in his Test career despite the fact it makes him feel "claustrophobic", scored freely with few signs of distress while Labuschagne put away anything loose.

Smith, having been struck on the neck by an Archer bouncer at Lord's that forced him to miss day five of the second Test then the entire third Test, declared last week he won't change anything and is ready to face the chin music.

"There's been a bit of talk that he's got the wood over me but he hasn't got me out," Smith said.

Archer returned serve at his Indian Premier League teammate.

The stage was set for something special in Manchester, where the crowd welcomed Smith to the crease with a round of boos then cheered when a quick single put him on strike for the first time.

Archer's first delivery, coming after Broad encouraged fans to make some noise as Joe Root stacked the leg side with fielders, was anticlimactic and Smith shouldered arms.

The express paceman, having seemingly bowled within himself prior to Broad's lbw dismissal of Marcus Harris, cranked up his pace and had seven deliveries at Smith.

The world's top-ranked batsman ducked under a couple of bouncers but looked to put his tormentor under pressure, getting off the mark with a vacant-point boundary.

England's quicks unsuccessfully attacked the pads of both Smith and Labuschagne.

Root reviewed Ben Stokes' lbw shout when Labuschagne was on 30 but the ball-tracking replay deemed it 'umpire's call'.

Labuschagne was on 32 when he tried to work a delivery from Jack Leach to the leg side but instead watched it rocket past a diving Stokes at first slip.

Warner was out edging for a second-ball duck in ungainly fashion, falling to Broad for the fifth time this series when he attempted to shoulder arms.

Harris became Broad's second victim when he was trapped in front and given out LBW a short time later.

Harris sent the decision upstairs for review, with DRS revealing no inside edge from the Aussie before it hit his pad.

Ball tracking came back 'umpire's call' meaning Harris had to follow his opening partner back to the pavilion for just 13 runs.

With AAP