• Jonny Bairstow's bizarre dismissal during England's second innings at Lord's Test has sparked huge controversy.

  • Mayank Agarwal, Jofra Archer and other cricketers shared their reactions on Bairstow's dismissal.

‘Scratching my head’: Mayank Agarwal and other cricketers react to Jonny Bairstow’s bizarre stumping – Ashes 2023, 2nd Test
Jonny Bairstow's dismissal on Day 5 of Lord's Test has sparked a huge controversy (Image Source: Twitter)

The ongoing Ashes series between England and Australia witnessed a dramatic and controversial moment on the final day of the second Test at Lord’s. England’s middle-order batter, Jonny Bairstow, found himself at the centre of a contentious dismissal that has stirred debates among cricket enthusiasts. In a pivotal moment of the match, Bairstow’s misjudgment and subsequent dismissal left the cricketing world divided.

It all happened on the last ball of the 52nd over when England were struggling at 193/5, and Bairstow left his crease to talk to his partner after instinctively ducking a fiery bouncer from Australian pacer Cameron Green, assuming that the over had concluded.

However, Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey seized the opportunity and swiftly collected the ball. Carey then executed an underarm throw to dislodge the bails at the striker’s end, catching Bairstow out of his crease. The on-field umpires referred the decision to the TV umpire, who ultimately ruled Bairstow out, causing a stir among players and fans alike.

Bairstow’s dismissal has sparked intense debate regarding the ethicality and sportsmanship of the incident. Critics argued that Bairstow had unintentionally assumed the over had ended and was not anticipating a direct hit. On the other hand, supporters of the dismissal were seen arguing that the rules were correctly followed and that Carey’s quick thinking and accurate throw should be commended.

Among all, many veteran and current cricketer also shared their views on the brain fade moment and bizarre dismissal. Indian cricketer Mayank Agrawal took to his Twitter and wrote ‘Scratching my head’, while Jofra Archer took a dig at the decision by tweeting ‘wow’. Meanwhile, former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg termed Bairstow not out and said, “Spirit of cricket pushed to the boundary. Not attempting a run, end of over, scratched crease then walked for the regulation BS chat between overs between batsman.”

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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CATEGORY: Ashes Jonny Bairstow

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.