Must get one fact loud and clear…: R Ashwin has his say on Bairstow dismissal amid Spirit of Cricket debate

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow’s recklessness cost him his wicket on Day 5 of the Lord’s Test in the ongoing Ashes series, which proved to be a crucial moment in the game as Australia clinched a 43-run victory. Bairstow wandered off from his crease at the end of the 52nd over without signalling to the wicketkeeper or the umpires or conforming if the ball was still in play or not. Alex Carey got a direct hit, Australia appealed and Bairstow was given out.

What followed was a ‘Spirit of Cricket’ debate, Australians being called cheaters and the players being slammed by MCC members in the long room. The ball was still in play and Carey was alert enough to affect a throw, catching the batter short. A fan tagged R Ashwin to bring him into the debate after cricketers, fans and viewers were divided over Bairstow’s dismissal.

Ashwin, who has been on the receiving end of several ‘Spirit of Cricket’ debates despite abiding by the rules, had his say on the incident as he mentioned that the individual (Carey here) should be applauded rather than the discussion weighing over towards unfair play.

Taking to Twitter, Ashwin wrote, “We must get one fact loud and clear. The keeper would never have a dip at the stumps from that far out in a test match unless he or his team have noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did.

“We must applaud the game smarts of the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game,” he further added.

What Ashwin said, Australian skipper Pat Cummins alluded to in the post-match interviews saying that Carey had noticed it a few balls ago and it’s in the rules and was absolutely fair. With this win, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the series and the hosts will have to win all three games to win the urn.

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