The Ashes rivalry is the oldest rivalry in cricket history. Every time the two teams go up against each other in whites, tempers flare. The Ashes 2023 was no different. Alex Carey and Jonny Bairstow became the centre of controversy when the Australian wicketkeeper hit the stumps as the latter tend to leave crease early before the ball was dead. A year after the infamous incident, former England captain Joe Root said that Bairstow should have stayed inside the crease. Root feels had the tables were turned he would have done the same thing to get the breakthrough.
"Initially I was quite angry, but I think when you're involved in the game it's very difficult to put yourself in the other position. So I'd like to say I would have dealt with it differently (than Australia), but I could very easily have done the same thing. Jonny will hate me saying this, but if you stay in your crease you can't get given out can you? At the end of the day it's within the laws of the game. You should be aware as a player," Root said in ECB's documentary, The Ashes 2023 | Our Take.
Stokes’ berserk knock after controversy
Ben Stokes was fuming as Bairstow was given stumped out and Pat Cummins chose not to retract his appeal. The dismissal fuelled the captain who went on a rampage after the lunch break. He went on a six-hitting spree and at one point Australians felt that he may repeat his Birmingham heroics of 2019 Ashes. However, Stokes departed for 155 and Australia won the match by 43 runs.
Root thanks captain for showing them the way
Root said Stokes’ knock motivated the England team as the hosts managed to draw the series 2-2.
"It deserved more than for us to come out on the wrong end of that (Lord's) result. For England's captain to show us this is how we play our cricket regardless of the situation, regardless of what people might have said in the first innings, how we got dismissed, reckless, careless, no thought behind it. It was a really powerful moment for us as a team and the rest of the series as well," he added.
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