The incident took place in the 52nd over, just moments before lunch on the final day of the Test match.
During the second half of the morning session on Day 5 of the Lord’s Ashes Test, an extraordinary display of batting prowess was exhibited by Ben Stokes. With his magnificent century, he single-handedly revived England’s hopes and appeared poised to orchestrate a comeback at Lord’s on Sunday afternoon. However, despite this remarkable performance, the most widely discussed and replayed event from the thrilling second Ashes Test was the perplexing run-out of Jonny Bairstow.
While credit must be given to Australia’s wicketkeeper Alex Carey for his astute glovework, Bairstow’s inexplicable actions were the crux of the dismissal. The incident took place in the 52nd over, just moments before lunch on the final day of the Test match.
With England striving to level the series 1-1 following Australia’s victory in Birmingham, Cameron Green delivered a short and wide ball outside the off-stump. Bairstow ducked under the delivery and immediately began walking towards his partner, Stokes. Typically, a player would consult with the wicketkeeper or the fielders at slip before making their way to the opposite end. However, Bairstow neglected this customary practice and nonchalantly strolled out of his crease.
Having keenly observed the unfolding situation, Carey swiftly threw the ball underarm towards the stumps and successfully dislodged the bails. An instant appeal ensued, leaving Bairstow utterly stunned and bewildered. Several Australian players converged upon Stokes and Bairstow, exchanging words amidst the commotion.
The television umpire, Marais Erasmus, promptly reviewed the replays and the decision was eventually given in Australia’s favor. According to Law 20, a ball is deemed “dead” when it is “finally settled,” with the determination falling solely upon the umpire. Notably, umpire Ahsan Raza had not even called the over to an end.
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The Lord’s crowd expressed their dissatisfaction with the ruling, voicing their disapproval through chants of “Shame on you, old Aussies, always cheating.” The spectators erupted in applause for each boundary struck by Stokes following the incident. Meanwhile, the newly arrived batsman, Stuart Broad, repeatedly tapped his bat at both ends while maintaining a vigilant gaze towards the umpire, leading to heated exchanges of words.
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