As the controversy over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal at Lord’s continues to play out, Australia can anticipate facing an energized England team as well as an angry audience when the third Ashes Test begins on Thursday at Headingley.
It all began when Bairstow was given out stumped by the opposition wicketkeeper Alex Carey during what the England batsman felt was a stoppage in play. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Australian colleague Anthony Albanese have even swapped verbal bouncers over the subject.
Bairstow’s departure, which occurred during a match that Australia won by 43 runs to go 2-0 up in the five-match Ashes despite England captain Ben Stokes’s remarkable 155, generated a chorus of booing at a typically peaceful Lord’s, which resulted to the suspension of three MCC members for reportedly assaulting visiting players in the pavilion. Australia is now leading the Ashes series, which consists of five matches.
In order to throw gasoline to the fire, the third Test will take place at Bairstow’s home field in Yorkshire. Increased security measures are anticipated to be implemented at Headingley, which is historically one of the most rowdy grounds in English cricket.
The vehemence with which the English reacted to a legal dismissal, as well as the efforts to relate it to their team’s involvement in the Sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal in South Africa five years ago, has left many inside the Australian game completely taken aback.
But Mike Atherton, a former captain of England, argued that rather than world Test champions Australia violating the “Spirit of Cricket,” Bairstow had been guilty of “dozy cricket.” Atherton made this statement.
Stokes stated that he would have dropped the appeal, and Joe Root, the England captain who held that position before Stokes, reinforced that stance when he said on Tuesday that “as a team we want to play our cricket in a certain way and leave a certain legacy.”
When asked how Bairstow might react, Root recalled England’s record-fourth innings chase of 378 against India, during which he and his Yorkshire team-mate both struck unbeaten centuries. Root said, “Go back to Edgbaston last year, someone said something to him — I think it was Virat Kohli — and brought the best out of him.” Bairstow is a member of the Yorkshire team. Let’s hope it occurs again.”
After scoring a century at Lord’s, Steve Smith is about to participate in his 100th test match, despite the fact that he was removed as captain of Australia and handed a one-year suspension for his role in the Sandpapergate scandal.
The top batsman, who has for a long time been the subject of jeers from the English audience, insisted: “It doesn’t bother me.”
Everyone has the right to their own point of view. I am well aware of who I am and how I want things to be handled because of this knowledge. I am representing both myself and my nation by competing in this game.
Pat Cummins, who is attempting to become the first Australian captain in 22 years to win an Ashes series in England, said that the fallout from Bairstow’s expulsion might galvanize the visitors just as much as it would the English squad.
“These kinds of moments can really strengthen a side,” he added. “I’ve seen it happen.” “He (Carey) has been doing an excellent job behind the wickets. We’ll care after him.”
Only one Australian team, led by the legendary batsman Don Bradman, was able to come back from being down 2-0 in a Test series and come out on top, winning the 1936–1937 Ashes 3-2.
However, in the Ashes match that took place four years ago at Headingley, Stokes scored a magnificent unbeaten hundred that helped England to a dramatic one-wicket triumph. England’s coach Brendon McCullum remarked, “We believe that we can still come back in this series.”
However, despite the anxiety that has been caused by Bairstow’s departure, England’s precarious situation is more directly attributable to their inability to capitalize on advantageous bowling conditions after winning the toss at Lord’s and to a first-innings collapse that contained numerous risky strokes and went from 188-1 to 325 all out.
James Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in the history of test cricket, has only taken three wickets in the first two matches of this series for England. Each of his wickets cost a pricey 75.33 runs.
As a result of batsman Ollie Pope suffering a series-ending shoulder injury at Lord’s, England has the ability to rearrange their lineup. His position might be in jeopardy as a result of this.
After missing the second test owing to an injury to his finger, spinner Moeen Ali has been summoned back into the squad, which means that Harry Brook may potentially be promoted to No. 3 in Pope’s stead.
Meanwhile express quick Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, an all-rounder, have a chance of being chosen in the squad, which would mean that Anderson, who will be 41 later this month, and Josh Tongue would be left out.
After suffering a tour-ending calf injury at Lord’s, fellow off-spinner Nathan Lyon will be replaced by Todd Murphy for the Australian cricket team. This will be the only change that Australia is need to make.