[6] It was also the first time in which Australia played no matches against English county teams, although they did face India in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final a week before the start of the series.

Australian players Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Starc topped the batting and bowling charts with totals of 496 runs and 23 wickets respectively.

[17][18] On 23 June 2023, Rehan Ahmed was added to England's squad as a cover for Moeen Ali who suffered blisters in his spinning finger during the first Test.

[27] After lunch, Harry Brook (32) and captain Ben Stokes (1) were both dismissed in the space of nine balls, with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow seeing England through to tea on 240/5.

The rain returned 20 minutes later, however, to stop play once again, although in that time both of England's openers, Duckett and Crawley, fell in the space of four deliveries to Cummins and Boland, respectively.

[32] After lunch, rain stopped play but once again the delay was short lived and soon after Tongue picked up a second wicket, this time bowling Warner for 66.

[32] Almost immediately after drinks midway through the afternoon session, Carey's fourth stumping of the series thus far off Lyon dismissed Crawley two runs shy of a half-century.

[32] After lunch, Australia continued to extend their lead without loss up until the drinks break, after which Tongue trapped Warner lbw for 25, the Australian batter failing to overturn the out decision on review.

Lyon batted admirably, including hitting a four, but was caught at midwicket in the same over by Stokes off Broad, ending Australia's second innings at 279 and giving England a target of 371 to win the second Test.

The next over came the first of two moments of debate and controversy in this match, with third umpire Erasmus deeming Starc to have put down a catch in the deep off Duckett by grounding the ball on the floor before being in control of his body.

[32] The morning session began with Duckett and Stokes playing positively, the latter successfully overturning an lbw decision given against him, and bringing up a half-century in the 41st over.

[36][37] Laws of Cricket 20.1.2 and 20.2 place the onus on the umpire to decide when the ball is considered dead by both sides or finally settled in the hands of the wicketkeeper.

[32] The lunch break saw unsavoury scenes in the Lord's Long Room, with three MCC members suspended – one for life – for their part in an incident with various Australia players for "abusive, offensive or inappropriate behaviour or language".

[38] After lunch, Broad and Stokes continued to build their partnership and the latter resumed his explosive innings, bringing up his 150 in the 69th over before eventually falling to Hazlewood for 155.

England's last wicket partnership survived for seven overs and took them within 44 runs of their target before Starc bowled Tongue to secure a 43-run victory for Australia and to go 2–0 up in the series.

Both James Anderson and Josh Tongue were rested, the latter after only featuring in the previous Test, bringing in bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes for their first appearances of the series.

Spinner Todd Murphy and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were their respective direct replacements, whilst Josh Hazlewood dropped out for the returning Scott Boland.

Stokes continued his assault for the last wicket stand, hitting a further five sixes while bringing up his half-century, before finally falling for 80 to the spin of Murphy, leaving England all out for 237 and a first innings deficit of 26.

England won a fourth consecutive toss and elected to bowl, and David Warner hit the first ball of the match for four.

[44] Five balls after tea, Stuart Broad picked up his 600th Test wicket, seeing Travis Head caught by Joe Root two runs shy of a half-century.

Halfway through the session, the umpires deemed the light not enough to be able to safely bowl pace and so England were required to bring Ali and Root into the attack.

[47] England's openers started positively, raising a fifty partnership after 10 overs, with Ben Duckett making a run-a-ball 41 before he gloved one behind off Mitchell Marsh.

After hitting a six and then a four, Woakes became the last batter to fall, caught at fine leg for Starc's fourth wicket, making a run-a-ball 36.

As usual, Broad and James Anderson opened the bowling for England, but it was Woakes who made the breakthrough in the 17th over, David Warner caught in the cordon by Crawley for 24.

Australia survived another close call later as Cummins was given out lbw off Broad but reviewed successfully after DRS had the ball sliding down the leg side and missing the stumps.

[47] Crawley nicked to slip off Cummins for 73 in the second over after lunch, after which Stokes and Root continued to build a lead for England, bringing up their fifty partnership on the stroke of the drinks break.

England lost their eighth and ninth wickets in the space of three deliveries, Ali (29) attempting to ramp Starc but only holing out to Hazlewood at fine leg, and Wood (9) slogging straight to Marsh at deep midwicket off Murphy.

[47] In a post-match interview almost immediately after the close of play, England bowler Stuart Broad announced his retirement from all cricket upon the completion of this Test.

Labuschagne edged Wood to second slip for 13 at the end of the 49th over, before Smith and Head rebuilt the Australian innings, bringing up 200 and a fifty partnership.

However, Cummins attempted to pull Ali but deflected onto his pad and looped up a catch for Stokes at leg slip, falling for 9, leaving Australia requiring 90 runs and England two wickets, to win the Test.