"Zero advantage was being taken there" - Stuart Broad defends Jonny Bairstow over his controversial dismissal at Lord's
Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad has weighed in on Jonny Bairstow's contentious stumping on Day 5 of the second Ashes Test at Lord's. Broad asserted that Bairstow wasn't trying to take a run as Bairstow scratched the mark in his crease, signaling the end of the over.
Tensions have flared at peak since the controversial stumping of Bairstow on Day 5 at Lord's. After ducking a short-pitched delivery from Cameron Green, Bairstow walked out of the crease unaware that the ball was still in play.
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey seized the opportunity to flick an underarm throw at the stumps and the third umpire adjudged it out after the on-field umpires sent it upstairs.
In his column for the Daily Mail, the 37-year-old detailed the incident and wrote:
"With regards to the Jonny incident, zero advantage was being taken there: he let the ball go, scratched his mark within the crease, and acknowledging it as the end of the over, went to speak to Ben Stokes. If you look at the footage of when the stumps were broken, one umpire has got the bowler’s cap in his hand, the other is head down, walking in from square leg — actions that suggest they too thought the over had finished."
Australia copped plenty of flak from the crowd following that incident, with Usman Khawaja and David Warner also having heated exchanges with the members at Lord's while heading for Lunch.
Later, England coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged that relationships between the two teams are now strained.
Stuart Broad explains Jonny Bairstow's attempt to stump Marnus Labuschagne in a similar way
Stuart Broad hit back at accusations of Jonny Bairstow trying to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne in a similar fashion, saying that Australia's No.3 usually bats from outside the crease.
Broad explained:
"I have seen a clip from earlier in the match when in his guise as 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. In other words, seeking an advantage."
If a batsman takes guard outside his crease and hasn’t grounded his bat behind crease after delivery, then perfectly ok to do what Bairstow tries here. No comparison to a batsman grounding his bat, believing the over is finished, and going to speak to his partner. twitter.com/samdjodan/stat…
Broad also defended England running Colin de Grandhomme out previously, stating how the New Zealand all-rounder did search for a run.
"Clips of Colin de Grandhomme being run out in the Lord’s Test last year have done the rounds, too, and that is just the most ludicrous comparison ever, because he got hit on the pad coming down the pitch, was searching for a run and Ollie Pope threw down the stumps from gully. Again, trying to gain an advantage," Broad added.
Both skippers Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins foresee the incident to affect the third Test, starting on Thursday, July 6, at Headingley.