England and Bairstow despair as Australia cheapskate tactics turn Ashes sour

In its long and storied history, the reserved, aloof ‘home of cricket’ has probably never have felt and sounded like it did on Sunday. The refrain of “same old Aussies always cheating,” rang out again and again around Lord’s as England face Australia. Even Old Father Time appeared to be joining in. The Ashes had caught fire – and not in a good way.

Australia felt hard done by when Ben Duckett was recalled by the third umpire after Starc was adjudged to have grounded the ball. In the light of that they weren’t about to give England something for nothing.

Cummins may think the ends justified the means and he may well be right. With Bairstow out of the way, Australia won the Second Test and are 2-0 up. But actions always have consequences.

It is Headingley next – Bairstow’s home ground – in three days’ time. If the Australians thought Lord’s was hostile yesterday, just wait for Leeds.

The detonator – the long-range, alley-cat stumping of Jonny Bairstow – was primed by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. It was triggered, however, by Australian Pat Cummins, who had it within his power to withdraw the appeal and keep Bairstow out in the middle. In choosing not to do so, he proved that a leopard never changes its spots.

This is professional sport and professional sport is about winning but there are ways and means to do so as Australia should know better than anyone.

Cummins is only in possession of the captaincy because of the Sandpapergate scandal which removed Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner from leadership roles.

The successor to Tim Paine, he was supposed to be another nice guy captain helping to repair the damage done to the country’s cricketing reputation by the shenanigans in South Africa.

Some hope. Cummins had the opportunity to be the bigger man yesterday. He did not take it.

In one sense we should all be grateful. Australia’s cheapskate methods lit the touch paper on an innings of magnificent defiance from Ben Stokes – as brilliant in its planning and execution as the Headingley epic in 2019 – but it left a sour taste.

Lord’s was spitting feathers. Australian fielders were routinely booed and catcalled on the boundary. Steve Smith was pilloried mercilessly after he dropped Stokes.

When Josh Hazlewood dived over a ball and let a four through, a gentleman in the crowd stood up and gave him a rude hand signal referring to his bedroom habits more reminiscent of Stamford Bridge.

It even spilled over into the Long Room where some of the old boys let them know exactly what they thought of the Australians as they went off for lunch. Usman Khawaja and Warner, who had cupped his ears and egged on the baiters out on the field, had to be escorted away after becoming involved in the altercation.

The MCC issued an unreserved apology but the fact was the irate members were speaking for the ground as a whole.

Bairstow was dozy in believing a scrape of the boot would suffice in rendering the ball dead. It wasn’t. But cricket is a game where the spirit of the law, as well as the wording of it, still matters.

The umpire may not have called ‘over’ but he was reaching into his pocket to give the bowler Cameron Green his cap as Carey underarmed the ball towards Bairstow’s stumps.

The mode of dismissal was edging into Mankad territory and Cummins should have recognised that. Maybe the incident on Saturday night involving Mitchell Starc and the catch that never was came into his thinking.