“If I was in Australia’s shoes I would have had a think about the spirit of the game”, Ben Stokes open on Jonny Bairstow Controversial Run Out.

Day 5 of the 2nd Ashes Test at Lord’s showcased an impressive innings by England captain Ben Stokes, who played a crucial role in his team’s pursuit of a daunting 371-run target set by Australia. Scoring 155 runs off 214 balls, Stokes almost single-handedly carried England towards victory. In the end, the World Test Champions triumphed by 43 runs, taking a 2-0 lead in the Ashes series.

Aside from Stokes’ exceptional performance, another notable incident occurred on Day 5. Jonny Bairstow, who joined Stokes at the crease after the dismissal of Ben Duckett, was stumped under unusual circumstances. With England requiring 194 runs for victory, the partnership between Stokes and Bairstow, their sixth-wicket pairing, held significant importance. However, their collaboration only yielded 16 runs before Bairstow fell victim to a stumping by Alex Carey off the bowling of Cameron Green.

During the 52nd over, Green delivered a bouncer that Bairstow comfortably evaded. Unaware that the ball was still in play, Bairstow proceeded to leave his crease for a change of ends. Seizing the opportunity, Carey executed a composed underarm throw, striking the stumps and dismissing Bairstow via stumping. This incident sparked a contentious debate among cricket enthusiasts, with some suggesting that the Australian team should have retracted their appeal and allowed Bairstow to continue batting, upholding the spirit of the game. Others, however, believed that the Australian team acted within the rules. Subsequently, Stokes addressed the controversy in a post-match interview, conceding that the decision was correct but also stating that he, personally, would have considered the spirit of the game if he were in Australia’s position.