Steve Smith passed an early examination from Jofra Archer with flying colours as Australia reached 2-98 at lunch on day one of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford.

Smith, marking his Test return from concussion, and Marnus 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 David Warner extended his miserable run against Stuart 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.

The horror show continues for Davey! Broad strikes first over! AUS 1/1

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— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) September 4, 2019

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.

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 Archer.

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.

He seems fine. 😊

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— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) September 4, 2019

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 before 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.

WOW! This was very close but Labuschagne gets away with it!

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— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) September 4, 2019

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.

-AAP