“Catch, throw at stumps” – Pat Cummins appreciates Alex Carey’s presence of mind after controversial Jonny Bairstow runout

The Ashes Test at Lord’s turned into quite a spectacle when Jonny Bairstow was caught straying from his crease before the ball was officially declared dead. The ever-vigilant Alex Carey spotted the opportunity and swiftly made the throw to the striker’s end, resulting in Bairstow being out of the crease.

There was a fair amount of disgruntlement among the England players over the incident. But the Aussies stayed firm in their decision, operating within the bounds of cricket laws. After some deliberation, the umpire backed the appeal, ruling Bairstow out.

In a social media post accompanied by pensive emojis, England Cricket shared the incident with their followers.

Although England’s ace player, Ben Stokes, took control of the situation from then on, Australia still managed to secure a victory. The Aussies advanced their lead in the five-match Test series to 2-0.

In the post-match presentation, Stokes shared his views on the controversial run out. He acknowledged the fact that it was technically an out but questioned the spirit of the game in such circumstances. He stated that had the situation been reversed, he would’ve preferred to place more emphasis on the umpire’s decision before making such a move.

In Stokes’ words: “For Australia it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”

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Pat Cummins, however, had a different take on the matter. The Australian player defended Carey’s quick action, arguing that the rule allowed for it and that there was no hesitation in the execution.

According to Cummins, “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.”

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The Bairstow run out turned out to be a significant factor in England’s defeat. Stokes played a valiant knock of 155, but found himself battling alongside the tailenders. Despite his Herculean efforts, Stokes couldn’t stop Australia from clinching a thrilling Test victory and take a 2-0 series lead.

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