'I thought he was going to put him in a headlock the way he charged in.'
With Australia having already sealed the Ashes series by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead, England arrived at the fifth and final Test in Sydney with little more than pride to play for.
A spirited win in the fourth Test in Melbourne ensured the series did not drift quietly to its conclusion -- and Day 2 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday delivered a flashpoint that reignited tempers.
England Captain Ben Stokes was involved in a heated on-field exchange with Australia's No.3 Marnus Labuschagne, an incident that drew strong reactions from former players in the commentary box.
The confrontation unfolded late in Australia's first innings, with Stokes visibly attempting to unsettle Labuschagne during a tense passage of play.
The moment occurred on the final ball of the 29th over, after Travis Head clipped Stokes for a boundary down the leg side.
Frustrated by the delivery and the chatter that followed, Stokes exchanged words with Head before Labuschagne joined in.
As the umpires and Head looked on, Stokes walked back towards Labuschagne and briefly placed an arm around the batter's shoulder, squeezing it lightly before the two went their separate ways.
While the incident did not escalate further, it sparked animated debate on air. Former Australia batter Mark Waugh admitted he initially feared the confrontation could turn physical.
'I thought he was going to put him in a headlock the way he charged in,' Waugh said, suggesting Stokes may also have been annoyed by Australia's complaints about the light.
Brett Lee echoed the sentiment, questioning whether physical contact was appropriate. 'Should you touch another player? The answer is no,' Lee said, before adding that such moments were part of Ashes cricket.
'You're playing for your country. Get out there and have a crack.'
Alyssa Healy -- whose husband Mitchell Starc is Australia's No. 1 bowler -- felt the aggression came too late in a series already decided, while Adam Gilchrist suggested fatigue and frustration in the fifth Test often led to such flare-ups.
'It looked heated,' Gilchrist said. 'Whether it was to defuse the situation or not, you probably shouldn't be touching an opposition player -- but this is what we expect in an Ashes series.'
Australia pacer Michael Neser later played down the incident, describing it as a by-product of Labuschagne's competitive edge.
'It's just Marnus,' Neser said. 'He's a strong competitor and can get under your skin.'
England, despite Joe Root's 160 in the first innings, endured a frustrating day with the ball as Travis Head’s counter-attacking 91 cut the deficit to 218 by stumps -- a backdrop that perhaps explained Stokes' visible frustration as tensions briefly boiled over in Sydney.