Stuart Broad may have the right to believe he has finally got in Marnus Labuschagne’s head.

Not with his outswinger, inswinger, or any other ball he bowls from outside the right-hander’s off stump.

Instead, this is about Labuschagne’s bails. Or more precisely, Broad playing with them.

Labuschagne produced the slowest innings, of more than 50 balls, by an Australian this century on Friday, soaking up 82 deliveries for his nine in the first session in London.

But looking as if he was in for the long haul, Labuschagne edged a Mark Wood ball out of nowhere and was out when caught superbly by Joe Root at first slip.

It kickstarted a collapse of 6-94, before Australia fought back to be all out for 295 and with a lead of 12 runs.

Labuschagne’s dismissal came a delivery after Broad swapped the bails on the right-hander’s stumps, believing it was a good-luck charm that Australians believe in.

Labuschagne, of all the Australians, is most regimented when it comes to his bails.

The Queenslander often checks the off bail is in its groove properly at the start of an over, blaming a dismissal as a teenager on it being loose.

“Marnus is someone who would notice everything so he took notice of it,” Broad said.

“It just worked out pretty magically that he nicked off next ball and Rooty took a great catch.”

Broad said Usman Khawaja at the other end had immediately warned him after not to touch his bails.

But when Labuschagne bats again in the second innings, Broad would be happy to do it again.

“It was a pretty successful result wasn’t it?” Broad said.

“So I think if the game gets tight I might wander up again.”

Labuschagne was visibly frustrated when walking off the field after the dismissal, but Broad said that was more to do with the light.

A point he believed the 29-year-old was right to query, given it appeared darker at The Oval than when players were forced off in the gloom of Manchester last week.

But by the same token, Broad would not let Labuschagne end the day without one further barb thrown his way.

“He strikes me as the sort of batter who is never out, and has to find a reason why he’s out. So the light took a pounding I think,” Broad said.

“To be fair … it was probably a bit darker than it was at Old Trafford when we came off.

“At the Oval, because of where the sightscreen is, underneath the stands are quite angled and it does look dark when you look out that way.”

— AAP