The spirit of cricket debate reignited after Jonny Bairstow’s controversial 'stumping' on Day 5 of ENG vs AUS second Ashes Test at Lord's. Bairstow’s run out by Alex Carey was only possible because of his sheer alertness. It was an ultimate shocker for fans at Lord's and Bairstow, who thought the ball was dead but instead dealt with an eye-opener after Carey threw the ball back on to the stumps to inflict a stumping. Although Bairstow's dismissal was fair as per the ICC laws, many believed the move was against the mythical 'spirit of the game'.
Bairstow’s wicket became a turning point in the match as even Ben Stokes' one-man show, a fiery 155, could not help England recover. England fans at Lord's started booing the Australians, calling them 'cheaters'. Amid all the chaos, ex-India opener Gautam Gambhir has also chipped in with a cryptic tweet in which he asks, without identifying anyone in particular, if the spirit of the game logic is just applicable to Indians. In all likelihood, Gambhir took a jibe at Australians by calling them 'sledgers' in his tweet.
"Hey sledgers....does the spirit of the game logic apply to you, or is it only for Indians?" Gambhir wrote on Twitter.
Stuart Broad, who walked in next to bat, fired at Carey by saying, “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for that."
He also told Pat Cummins, “That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket."
After the match got over, a few members of the MCC and some Australian cricketers got involved in a heated altearction in Lord's long room after which Australia team management filed an official complaint, requesting MCC an investigation into the matter.
MCC issued an apology statement for their conduct and also announced the suspension of three members who were involved in an altercation with the Australian team.