Bairstow’s dismissal created quite a stir on social media.
During the 52nd over of England’s second innings, Bairstow ducked a short delivery from Cameron Green and almost instantly left his crease assuming that the ball was dead.
However, Alex Carey was alert behind the stumps as the Australian wicketkeeper collected the ball and hit the stumps in one go to catch Bairstow well outside his crease.
While the dismissal once again triggered the Spirit of Cricket argument, veteran India spinner R Ashwin has backed Carey’s decision to run out a wandering English wicketkeeper-batter.
Taking to Twitter, Ashwin wrote: “We must get one fact loud and clear. The keeper would never have a dip at the stumps from that far out in a test match unless he or his team have noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his crease after leaving a ball like Bairstow did. We must applaud the game smarts of the individual rather than skewing it towards unfair play or spirit of the game.”
The rule 20.1.2 of ICC Playing Conditions states: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”
Therefore, Carey was well within his rights to break the stumps and third umpire Marais Erasmus rightfully adjudged the batter out.
After the game, however, England skipper Ben Stokes said he would not have preferred a win with the kind of dismissal that led to Bairstow’s departure.
"When is it justified that the umpires have called over? Is the on-field umpires making movement, is that enough to call over? I'm not sure. Jonny was in his crease then out of his crease. I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out," Stokes told the BBC.
He added: "If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that. For Australia, it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no."