'Never seen that': Cricket world loses it over bizarre incident

Marnus Labuschagne has hilariously taken a dig at himself after leaving the cricket world baffled with one of the most bizarre dismissals in recent memory.

The Aussie batter fell for 44 in the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart on an opening day that saw teammate Travis Head belt his second century of the series.

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Head's sublime century lifted Australia to 6-241 at stumps on an eventful opening day that saw the home side's top order crumble in a horror start.

The Aussies crashed to 3-12 in 10 overs on a green pitch after losing the toss, reliving their nightmarish start to the previous Test at Bellerive.

But there was no meek collapse to rival the chaos of 2016.

Instead, a counter-punching Head humbled England's beleaguered bowlers with help from Labuschagne and Cameron Green.

Labuschagne's good work was largely undone by a moment of madness that has already dominated the 'highlight' reels from day one.

The world's No.1 Test batter tried to give himself room by stepping to the off side but slipped over, with Stuart Broad's delivery hitting middle stump.

Replays made the 27-year-old look like a comical figure as his legs got in a tangle and he ended up in a heap on the pitch, with his stumps shattered from the Broad delivery.

To his credit, Labuschange took a crack at himself after posting a photo of the calamitous moment on social media.

“How’d you go today? Yeah, just got a good one," he captioned the image of the hilarious gaffe.

England great Michael Vaughan said in Fox Sports commentary: “I have never ever seen this in Test cricket. The opening session of a Test match... he just falls over, he trips over his own feet.”

Michael Hussey added: “That is one of the most bizarre dismissals you’ll ever see in Test cricket.”

Fellow Fox Sports commentator Brendon Julian weighed in: “I just doubt if he would have got it anyway. He was so far across, he needed to come right back. Obviously slipping over didn’t look good, (but) Broad thought it did!”

Vaughan continued: “I’ve never ever seen this in cricket, let alone Test cricket. On the first session of a Test match. He’s got that left foot (so far across), he goes over because it slips, but where was he going!?”

Centurion Head said he was "bitterly disappointed" to fall for 101, after chipping a catch to Ollie Robinson immediately after celebrating his second hundred of the five-Test series.

The left-hander, forced to miss the SCG Test after contracting COVID-19, nonetheless shifted momentum in a staggering fashion that belied Friday's opening hour in which pink ball dominated bat.

"Anything over 300 is going to be a great start," Head said, when asked what first-innings total might be required to bank a 4-0 series win.

Head shared a 71-run partnership with Labuschagne, which ended in bizarre fashion in the penultimate over of the opening session, then a 121-run stand with Green.

England fails to capitalise on incredible start

Green's dismissal on 74, in what proved the third last over of the day after rain resulted in stumps being pulled after 59.3 overs, will give England hope of cleaning up the tail quickly on Saturday.

But the tourists, who failed to grasp a golden chance to dismiss Labuschagne (44) for a duck during the early carnage, have already squandered their hopes of restricting Australia to a far smaller total.

A crowd of 9002 waited for play to resume late on Friday night before umpires gave up hope at 10.11pm AEDT.

The Head-inspired comeback was the latest reminder of Australia's depth this summer, coming after recalled paceman Robinson removed David Warner and Steve Smith for ducks in an inspired opening spell.

It marked the first time that Warner and Smith both failed to trouble the scorers in a Test innings.

Head cracked 12 boundaries, overtaking Labuschagne as the series' leading run-scorer in the process.

Green was in the box seat to post his maiden Test ton before picking out Zak Crawley at deep square leg, falling victim to Mark Wood's short-ball ploy.

Wood, otherwise England's most impressive paceman on this tour, logged figures of 1-79 from 11.3 overs to prove England's least economical bowler.

Crawley held onto three catches but grassed the edge offered by Labuschagne in the eighth over, having dived in front of Joe Root at first slip.

Robinson, who trudged off to the change rooms because of a sore back but returned to field, only delivered eight overs.

with AAP

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