"Pat Cummins would get a lot of stick for the remainder of the series"- Andrew Strauss on Jonny Bairstow's dismissal in Lord's Test

Former England captain Andrew Strauss feels the English crowd won't go easy on Australian captain Pat Cummins and the rest of the team for not withdrawing their appeal for Jonny Bairstow's wicket on Day 5 of the second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord's.

Bairstow was caught off-guard wandering outside the crease and Alex Carey found him short of his ground with an underarm direct hit. Cummins decided not to withdraw the appeal and Bairstow had to walk back to the pavilion. The crowd booed the Aussies and let them know how they felt about that decision.

Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket after the game, here's what Andrew Strauss had to say about Jonny Bairstow's dismissal:

"The emotions are so high in an Ashes series and now the Australians are the villains for the England fans, especially Pat Cummins with his decision to not withdraw the appeal against Jonny Bairstow. In truth, I mean there was absolutely nothing wrong with it but the crowd will look it through England patriotic eyes and will not like the look of that and Cummins would get a lot of stick for the remainder of the series on the back of that."

Strauss also claimed that even he wouldn't have withdrawn the appeal had he been in Cummins' shoes. On this, he added:

"No, I don't think so (on whether he would have withdrawn the decision) because Alex Carey just picked it up and threw it, there was no premeditated element to it. Jonny Bairstow was being dozey going outside of his crease. I was pretty comfortable with what Australia did there."

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Eoin Morgan also opined on Jonny Bairstow's dismissal

Former England cricketer Eoin Morgan was also present in the discussion and even he felt that Australia were well within their rights to not withdraw the appeal for Jonny Bairstow's dismissal.

In fact, Morgan questioned Bairstow for wandering out of his crease on a previous couple of deliveries in the same over without having much awareness of the surroundings. On this, he stated:

"I don't see it compromising the spirit of the game. We were watching the footage and the two previous balls that Bairstow faced, he was just being naive and just batting in his own bubble and not taking any of the real-time information and circumstances that were going on. It cost him the biggest price, his wicket."

While the spirit of cricket debate continues, Australia will be delighted with their 2-0 lead and are now in pole position to win their first Test series in England since 2001.