Follow UsOver the years, England and Australia have been involved in fierce rivalry, and the start of the much-awaited Ashes series was no different. While the first game was a nail-biting thriller in Birmingham, tempers flared at the Home of Cricket on the final day as Jonny Bairstow was run-out in a controversial fashion.
With the game evenly poised in the first session of play, Cameron Green bowled a short delivery to the England keeper, who ducked underneath and walked out of his crease to have a chat with Ben Stokes.
However, the ball was still in play, and Alex Carey was quick to throw it back to the stumps, much to the surprise of the England players and the crowd.
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After plenty of drama and boos from the crowd, Bairstow was adjudged stumped according to the laws of the game. While it did not go well with the supporters, Stuart Broad walking in next too seemed to be visibly upset by the mode of dismissal and stated in his column for Daily Mail that he was surprised by the behaviour of some of the senior Aussie players.
"What amazed me, and what I told the Australians I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them. I very much understand in the emotion of the game that the bowler and wicketkeeper would have thought, 'that's out' -- questioned what they had done."
"Especially given what their team has been through over recent years, with all their cultural change. Not one of them said: 'Hang on, lads. I'm not really sure about this.' Not one of them thought: 'He's gaining no advantage. He's not trying to get a run. It's the end of the over. It's a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal."
"Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy, and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, 'I got that one wrong', even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match," he added.
While there were some videos surfacing on social media about Bairstow attempting the same against Marnus Labuschange, Broad backed his teammate and said it was because the Aussie batter was batting outside his crease to negate the swing.
"Yes, I have seen a clip from earlier in the match when in his guise as a wicketkeeper, Jonny himself threw the ball at the stumps. But that was because Marnus Labuschagne was batting outside of his crease -- in doing so, attempting to take the lbw out of the game," he said.
The 37-year-old also revealed his conversation with Cummins and Alex Carey and said, "All these boos are for you, for your decision."
"I needed to support Ben Stokes in any way, shape or form I could, and I am always better when I'm in a bit of a battle. I normally try and pick a fight with someone in the opposition, but on this occasion, I picked a fight with the whole team."
"This is what you'll be remembered for, and that's such a shame.' It may have been a bit silly, but I also shouted 'in' every time I crossed the line. It annoyed the Australians for maybe half an hour, although after two-and-a-half hours, they were probably a bit bored of it," he told Carey.
Australia are 2-0 up in the series, and the third Test matches will begin on Thursday, July 6, at Headingley.