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Last Updated: July 04, 2023, 00:17 IST
Jonny Bairstow’s run out has become the biggest talking point of the Ashes 2023 (AP Photo)
Atherton noted that Bairstow’s wicket had nothing to do with the spirit of the game. Rather, it demonstrated the “flabby” attitude of the English team
The second Test of the Ashes at the Lord’s witnessed a chaotic ending following a controversial run-out of Jonny Bairstow. The English wicketkeeper-batter was trapped outside his mark by a sudden underarm throw from Australian keeper Alex Carey. After it was given out by the third umpire, the majority of the English cricket fraternity criticised the decision, saying Australia’s gesture was “against the spirit of cricket” as Bairstow had no intention to take a single.
But former England captain Michael Atherton had a different opinion on the matter. In a column for the Times, Atherton noted that Bairstow’s wicket had nothing to do with the spirit of the game. Rather, it demonstrated the “flabby” attitude of the English team.
At the beginning of Day 5. England was 257 runs behind the fourth-innings target with six wickets in hand. Following the wicket of Harry Brook early on the day, the hosts were on the back foot when Jonny Bairstow came in and joined hands with skipper Ben Stokes. The duo was going well when Bairstow faced a lethal bouncer from Cameron Green which he chose to leave.
Assuming the ball was dead, Bairstow walked off his mark. That’s when Alex Carey executed a sudden throw that directly hit the stumps, prompting a loud appeal for a run-out from the English unit. After giving it a second check, the television umpire gave his decision in Australia’s favour.
England captain Ben Stokes couldn’t be happy with Bairstow’s wicket as it turned out to be a huge blow for the hosts, who eventually lost the match by 43 runs. But according to Aussie skipper Pat Cummins, the dismissal was a fair one and thus, he never thought of revoking the appeal or recalling Bairstow. Michael Atherton backed Cummins’ logic, while also highlighting the “dozy” attitude of Bairstow, which “allowed Carey the opportunity.”
“It reflected much of the flabby cricket played by England in this match,” Atherton said, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Discussing England’s second-consecutive defeat in the Ashes, Michael Atherton said the hosts failed to take advantage of the toss and the injury issue of Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon during the Lord’s Test. Elaborating on where everything went wrong for England, Atherton said that Australia’s mammoth 416-run total in the first innings turned out to be quite crucial, while England’s lack of composure in the fourth innings was also responsible.
“Conceding 416 was too many on the first innings and then declining from 188 for one to 325, in perfect batting conditions with Australia a man down, was where the match was lost,” Atherton explained.
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