WATCH: When MS Dhoni recalled Ian Bell by withdrawing Jonny Bairstow-like controversial dismissal appeal

The controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey during the fifth day of the Lord’s Test in the Ashes 2023 series has ignited a debate on the Spirit of Cricket. While a few fans argued that the run-out was against the Spirit of the game, others highlighted that it was within the laws. Some even went on to suggest that Australia should have reneged their appeal as Carey’s act seemed to go against the intangible Spirit of Cricket.

During the first session of Day 5, as Australia continued with their short ball strategy, Bairstow ducked under a harmless bouncer from Cameron Green. With it being the last ball of the over, Bairstow moved out of his crease and started walking towards the other end, where he and Ben Stokes intended to have a conversation, as is common among batters.

However, Carey reacted quickly after collecting the ball and seeing Bairstow outside his crease. The Aussie wicketkeeper threw the red leather at the stumps with Bairstow still out of his crease, unaware that he had been stumped out. Carey was the first to celebrate the dismissal, followed by the other Australian players. The umpires deemed that the ball was still in play, resulting in Bairstow being stumped out off a pace bowler and having to make his way back to the pavilion.

🤐🤐🤐#EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/dDGCnj4qNm
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 2, 2023

The decision did not sit well with the home crowd, and the Australian players faced boos from the spectators at Lord’s. The tension escalated further as some members confronted the Australian team in the Lord’s room, leading to a heated altercation involving David Warner and Usman Khawaja.

The incident quickly brought MS Dhoni into the conversation, with many cricket fans recalling his decision to recall Ian Bell in the 2011 Trent Bridge Test. In that instance, Bell had thought he had hit a boundary off the last ball before Tea, but the ball was saved by Praveen Kumar’s diving effort. Kumar threw the ball back, and Bell was found short of his crease. However, Dhoni chose to withdraw the appeal and allowed Bell to continue batting, earning praise for his display of the Spirit of Cricket. Dhoni was subsequently awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket award for his actions.

Here’s the video: