'The Keeper Would Never Have...': R Ashwin Reacts After Ashes 2023 Controversy With 'Loud And Clear' Message

The cricket world is debating whether Australia were correct in not withdrawing the stumping appeal against Jonny Bairstow who casually left his crease after ducking underneath a short delivery assuming it to have been called dead.

The incident occurred during the morning session of the 2nd Test between England and Australia at the Lord’s. The hosts had lost five wickets and still needed 178 to win with Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes in the middle.

Bairstow, after leaving aside the delivery, scratched the surface with his boot and started walking towards the non-striker’s end. Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey quickly spotted the mistake and under armed the ball onto the stumps for a direct hit and the resulting appeal for stumping was referred to the TV umpire who ruled the decision in the fielding team’s favour.

The crowd at the venue began booing Australian cricketers and a few members of MCC confronted Usman Khawaja and David Warner at the Long Room during the lunch break.

The dismissal has again triggered a ‘spirit of cricket’ with England being at the centre of it.

India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Carey and said the cricketer should be praised for his presence of mind.

“We must get one fact loud and clear,” Ashwin tweeted and added, “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 the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game,” he wrote.

England captain Stokes, whose sparkling century wasn’t enough to drag England home, later said if it was his team, they would have withdrawn the appeal.