Lords bore witness to a tumultuous scene both on and off the field during the thrilling final day of the 2nd Ashes Test. England, in pursuit of a daunting 371 runs, suffered the loss of two quick wickets just before lunch, the second of which sparked a heated controversy. While the dismissal was technically within the rules, the English crowd erupted in anger, chanting their familiar refrain of "Same old Aussies, always cheating."
Despite the valiant efforts of their captain Ben Stokes, who scored a fiery century, the fans remained dissatisfied with the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow, and they made their displeasure known to the Australian team. The jeers continued even in the hallowed halls of the Lords Long Room, where two Australian players were subjected to attacks by members of the MCC.
As Pat Cummins and his team entered the Long Room, the resounding boos from the crowd echoed through the air. Amidst the cacophony, a member of the MCC expressed his discontent with Alex Carey's clever glovework that led to Bairstow's dismissal, directing his frustration towards Australian opener Usman Khawaja. Khawaja, on his way back to the dressing room, halted and engaged in a heated exchange before being restrained by security personnel. David Warner also found himself on the receiving end of some choice words, prompting umpire Chris Gaffaney to intervene.
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“You don’t like seeing that from the members,” former Australian captain Mark Taylor said on Channel 9.
Former Test batter Callum Ferguson continued: “It’s got a little bit nasty at times. What’s coming from the crowd is quite vicious from the Australians.”
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Even veteran England cricketers were not happy with the scenes inside the Long Room.
“The crowd were right into Australia when they were on the field, that continued as the players when through there long room,” former England batter Ian Ward said on Sky Sports.
“I’ve never seen scenes like that, particularly in the Long Room.”
“There is a huge sense of frustration. I can’t understand why. It’s complete naivety around what has happened around Bairstow’s dismissal — he’s stumped!,” former England captain Eoin Morgan said.
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