[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]Jonny Bairstow was caught moving outside the crease before the ball was dead during England’s run chase of 371 at Lord’s on day five. In a decisive moment in the Test match, an alert Alex Carey threw down the stumps at the striker’s end with Bairstow outside the crease.
While the England batters in the middle expressed displeasure over the incident, Australia had abided by the laws and the umpire upheld the appeal by ruling Bairstow out.
🤐🤐🤐#EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/dDGCnj4qNm
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2023
Despite a Ben Stokes carnage from thereon, Australia went on to seal a win in the Test and go 2-0 up in the five-match Test series.
Speaking about the crucial dismissal in the post-match presentation, Stokes was sceptical about the whole incident and clarified that he wouldn’t have wanted to “win a game in that manner”.
“I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out,” Stokes said.
“If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that.”
“For Australia, it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner?
“The answer for me is no,” Stokes affirmed.
at Cummins, on the other hand, offered an entirely contrasting view to his England counterpart.
“I think (Alex) Carey saw it happen a few balls previous,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation.
“There was no pause. Catch it, straight away, have a throw at the stumps. I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. I know some people might disagree. Just like the catch yesterday, the rule is there. That’s how I saw it.”
England coach Brendon McCullum was left frustrated by the incident and declared post-match that “he can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer any time soon” with the Australia players.
“When you become older and more mature, you realise the game and the spirit of it is something you need to protect,” McCullum told the BBC.
“You have to make decisions in the moment, and they can have effects on games and people’s characters.
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“By the letter of the law, he is out. Jonny was not trying to take a run. It is one of those difficult ones to swallow and you look at the small margins, it is incredibly disappointing.
“But lots of people will have their opinion on both sides of the fence. The most disappointing thing is that it will be the most talked about event of a great Test match.”
Flintoff 🤝 Stokes 🤝 Hazlewood
These iconic #Ashes moments have a theme 💥 pic.twitter.com/OufLF3HDAc
— ICC (@ICC) July 3, 2023
But a host of former England captains has no issue with the dismissal and believe it was a brain fade from Bairstow that cost him his wicket.
“In truth, I think there was absolutely nothing wrong with it but, of course, the crowd will see it through English patriotic eyes,” ex-England captain Andrew Strauss said.
“Bairstow was being dozy going outside of his crease. I was pretty comfortable with what Australia did.”
Fellow former Test skipper Michael Atherton added on Sky Sports: “England have nothing to complain about, it was a dozy bit of cricket from Jonny Bairstow.”
Former England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan also shared his view on Sky Sports: “I don’t see it compromising the spirit of the game.
“There was a huge sense of frustration (in the crowd) but I can’t understand why? It’s complete naivety around Bairstow’s dismissal.
“The ball is not dead at any stage when Bairstow leaves his crease. He was obviously in his own little bubble – and you cannot do that.
“It’s actually really smart from Carey, recognising what is going on – Bairstow living in his own little world – and seeing an opportunity to take a wicket.”
We must get one fact loud and clear
“The keeper would never have a dip at the stumps from that far out in a test match unless he or his team have noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did.”
We must applaud the game smarts of… https://t.co/W59CrFZlMa
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) July 2, 2023
Ravichandran Ashwin chimed in with his thoughts via social media, with the India spinner making a note of praising Carey for the skill shown in executing the dismissal.
“The keeper would never have a dip at the stumps from that far out in a Test match unless he or his team have noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did,” Ashwin wrote.
“We must applaud the game smarts of the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game.”
The incident played a part in England’s downfall, with Stokes stranded with the tail and fighting it out on his own. His remarkable 155 wasn’t enough, though, to deny Australia win in another captivating Test.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
