The 2023 Ashes series has been a disappointment for the host nation, England, as they lost the first two Tests against Pat Cummins‘ Australian team, resulting in significant backlash. The criticism is likely to continue until England’s side, led by Ben Stokes, makes a comeback in the third Test, which is scheduled to begin on July 6th at Headingley.
However, during the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow was involved in a controversial dismissal. Bairstow, batting at 10, ducked under a bouncer from Cameron Green and started walking out of his crease. Australia’s wicketkeeper, Alex Carey, quickly reacted by catching the delivery and throwing an accurate underarm throw at the stumps, resulting in Bairstow’s dismissal.
The stumped-out sparked speculation and divided opinions. Some believed the dismissal was unethical, while others saw it as a legitimate move within the rules of the game.
England’s star performer, Stokes, who scored remarkable 155 runs in the second innings, later expressed his disappointment after the match and revealed that if a similar incident had happened in Australia, he would withdraw the dismissal. On the other hand, skipper Cummins was all happy with the third umpire’s decision and backed Carey.
The battle between England and Australian players may have ended on the field with Australia’s victory at Lord’s, but it continued in the media outlets of both countries. After UK newspapers took a dig at the Australian team over the controversial Bairstow dismissal, the Australian media hit back on Tuesday morning, labeling Stokes and his team as “crybabies.”
The West Australian’ published a picture of Stokes on its front page with the tagline – ‘Crybabies’ while proclaiming “Poms take whingeing to new level with ‘cheating’ drivel,”
Stokes’ head was photoshopped onto a baby wearing a nappy with a milk bottle’s nipple on his mouth whilst playing with a new Dukes cricket ball and the Ashes urn tossed to the side.
The Australian newspaper headlines. pic.twitter.com/Bt921dOlwl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 3, 2023
The England captain took to Twitter to react to this viral picture. Stokes retweeted the picture with a tongue-in-cheek response.
“That’s definitely not me, since when did I bowl with the new ball,” the 32-year-old tweeted
That’s definitely not me, since when did I bowl with the new ball https://t.co/24wI5GzohD
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) July 3, 2023
Meanwhile, England’s skipper has been in exceptional form both on and off the field. While his views on Bairstow’s dismissal have sparked a difference of opinion regarding the spirit of cricket, there is no doubt about the fact that his incredible innings was one of the best in recent times and nearly led England to victory at Lord’s.
Stokes was the standout performer as he almost pulled off a remarkable victory. As long as he was at the crease, England had hopes. His innings included nine sixes and nine fours.
Speaking of the ongoing Ashes, England face a significant challenge as they head into the third Test at Headingley trailing 2-0 in the series. To regain the Ashes urn, they would need to create history by becoming only the second team in 146 years of the Ashes to win the series after losing the first two Tests.
