Alex Carey Unfazed by Controversy, Would Repeat Stumping of Bairstow in Remaining Ashes Tests

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has asserted that he would not hesitate to replicate his controversial stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow if presented with a similar opportunity in the final two tests of the ongoing Ashes series.

Carey’s stumping of Bairstow during the second test at Lord’s last month stirred a ‘Spirit of Cricket’ dispute that even involved the prime ministers of Australia and England. Bairstow was given out after being found guilty of leaving his crease, leading to Australia’s 43-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the five-test series as they head into the fourth match at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

When questioned about the possibility of repeating the move that caused tension and verbal abuse towards Australia’s players, Carey responded, “If there was an opportunity to get a stumping, yeah I would.” He acknowledged the heated exchanges but emphasized that such incidents are not uncommon in the fiercely contested Ashes series.

While the incident sparked public disagreement between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak, Carey expressed surprise at how the matter had escalated. He felt supported by his team and mentioned the presence of loyal Australian fans, although acknowledging the lack of new English fans.

Reflecting on the stumping, Carey explained, “We were aware of the bouncer plan, and it seemed like Jonny was alert to avoiding it without playing any shots.” He highlighted the significance of Bairstow’s wicket, given his prowess as a player, especially in conjunction with Ben Stokes.

Ultimately, Carey emphasized that once the bails were dislodged, the decision of whether it was out or not lay with the third umpire or the on-field umpires, and in this case, it was deemed out.

Despite the controversy, Carey remains undeterred and ready to perform his duties behind the stumps in the remaining Ashes tests.

Jonny Bairstow has been retained as England’s wicketkeeper in a 14-man squad for the upcoming fourth Test against Australia, as the team maintains their faith in him.

Bairstow has faced challenges behind the stumps during the series, having missed eight chances in the first three Tests.

Despite calls for Surrey’s Ben Foakes to replace Bairstow, both captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum continue to support the Yorkshire player.

Following their three-wicket victory in the third Test in Leeds, which kept their Ashes hopes alive, England has named an unchanged squad for the forthcoming match in Manchester on Wednesday.

The hosts currently trail 2-1 in the series with two Tests remaining as they strive to win the Ashes for the first time since 2015.

Foakes has received praise from Stokes as the best wicketkeeper in the world, but Bairstow regained his place at the start of the season after recovering from a broken leg sustained in a golfing accident.

Bairstow’s mobility has appeared compromised since his recovery from three separate leg fractures, ligament damage, and a dislocated ankle.

In this Ashes series, he has only impressed with the bat once, scoring 78 runs on the opening day of the series.

Ollie Robinson has also been included in the squad, despite his recent back spasms limiting his involvement in the previous match.

The medical team is monitoring Robinson, but he is expected to make way for the return of James Anderson, England’s leading Test wicket-taker, at his home ground in Lancashire.

Anderson was rested for the third Test after struggling to make an impact in the first two matches, leading to suggestions that his effectiveness was waning at the age of 40.

Meanwhile, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald faces a selection dilemma with Mitch Marsh impressing in the third Test after replacing the injured Cameron Green.

With Green now fit, McDonald must find a way to accommodate both all-rounders in the lineup.

Opener David Warner’s place in the team is in question following a poor performance in the third Test, while omitting Scott Boland would allow Marsh and Green to be included.

“We have a lot to consider and weigh up. We need to consider Mitch Marsh’s inclusion and the team’s balance with our all-rounders,” McDonald stated.

“He has presented a strong case. He was exceptional in this game, and his compatibility against England is quite promising. He also showcased impressive bowling skills, which he has displayed before in England.”

Bangladesh’s star batsman Liton has surpassed the world’s best batsmen in scoring runs in international cricket this year.

Liton Das has scored 1,302 runs in 30 innings so far in the three formats of Tests, ODIs, and T20is this year with the help of three centuries and nine fifties. England’s star batsman Jonny Bairstow is in the second position with 1,222 runs with the help of three centuries and six fifties in eight innings less than Liton.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam, batting in just 16 innings, is in the third position with 1,184 runs with the help of 7 centuries and 5 fifties. England’s former Test captain Joe Root is in the fourth position with 1,025 runs in 23 innings this year with the help of two centuries and five fifties.

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is in the fifth position after scoring 1,002 runs in 27 innings.

Bairstow scored 106 runs in the first innings of the Edgbaston Test. He remained unbeaten on 114 while chasing the target set by India in the next innings. He has now moved up 11 places in the ICC’s Test batsmen’s rankings to no. 10.

The team lost, but Rishabh Pant was aggressive with the bat. He scored 146 runs in the first innings of this Test. He then scored 57 in the second innings. He is now at the top of the rankings among Indian batters. He has moved up six places to the fifth position with 801 rating points. His previous best was the seventh.

English batsman Joe Root retained the top spot in the Test rankings with a rating point of 923. Marnus Labuschagne is in second place with 879 points. Steve Smith is the third Aussie batter with a rating of 826. Pakistan captain Babar Azam is at number four.

Virat Kohli has dropped out of the top 10 after almost six years. He dropped three places to 13th. Bangladesh’s Liton Das is one step behind in 14th place.

England’s first innings was halted at 284 with his wide bat on the third day on Sunday. India, who started their second innings with a lead of 132 runs, lost the wicket of opener Shubman Gill in the first over. He was replaced by James Anderson. Hanuma Vihari (11) and Virat Kohli (20) also did not last long.

In the end, India finished the third day at 125 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara is batting on 50 and Rishabh Pant on 30. In all, India has taken the lead of 257 runs.

Earlier, Bairstow had delivered three devastating innings of 136, 162, and 71* in the last two Tests of the series, which whitewashed Test world champions New Zealand 3-0. This time he scored 106 off 140 balls. He got a century in three consecutive Tests. Five of Bairstow’s 11 Test centuries have come this year. He is only the second batter in Test history to score five centuries in a year after five or so.

It took Bairstow 65 balls to score the first 16 runs in the face of the team’s disaster. The next 84 runs came off just 54 balls. His innings included 14 fours and two sixes. Bairstow added 66 runs with skipper Ben Stokes (25) for the sixth wicket and 92 with Sam Billings (36) for the seventh wicket. Mohammed Shami returns to him. England did not last long after Bairstow’s departure. For India, Mohammed Siraj took four wickets, skipper Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets and Shami took two wickets.

Jonny hit back-to-back fours and completed his century off 77 balls with nine fours and five sixes. The English star batsman scored 136 off 92 balls with 14 fours and 7 sixes before returning to the dressing room.

In the original format of the Test, Shahid Afridi scored a century off 78 balls at Kingston Oval against the West Indies in 2004. Exactly a year later, Afridi scored a century in those 78 balls in the Lahore Test against India.

However, former New Zealand captain and current England head coach Brendon McCullum holds the record for the lowest ball century in Tests. He scored a century off just 54 balls against Australia in Christchurch in 2015.