 "Ashes 2023")
The final day of the second Test at the Lord’s in the ongoing Ashes series on Sunday saw a controversy after England batter Jonny Bairstow was dismissed on the last ball of the 52nd over.
England, chasing a target of 371, were 193 for 5 when Bairstow (10) ducked a bouncer from Australian pacer Cameron Green on the last ball of the 52nd over and walked out of the crease thinking that the over had finished. However, Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey hit the stumps with an underarm throw after collecting the ball. The decision was referred to the third umpire, who ruled that Bairstow was out.
After the match ended, England captain Ben Stokes said that he didn't appreciate the Australian tactic as Bairstow was not trying to steal a run.
"Jonny Bairstow was in his crease and then came out to have a chat in the middle. I’m not disputing if it was out, it was. If the shoe was on the other foot, I would've had to think about the whole spirit of the game. But it has happened, it was out. We have to move on... Do I want to win in that manner? No," Stokes said, according to a report in the Hindustan Times (HT).
Defending his team, Australian captain Pat Cummins said the decision to run out Bairstow was pre-meditated and that Carey had noticed Bairstow stepping out several times before he ultimately opted to run out Bairstow.
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Cummins said, "I think Carey saw it happen a few balls previously, three or four balls previously, and there's no pause, catch it, straightaway and throw at the stumps. I thought it was totally fair play. That's how the rule is. Some people might disagree. That's how I saw it."
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has often been subjected to criticism for running out batters at the non-striker’s end, has backed Carey’s decision to run out Bairstow.
Ashwin tweeted: "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 has noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did. We must applaud the game smarts of the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game."
