Ashes 2023: Australian skipper, Pat Cummins dismisses Jonny Bairstow stumping controversy (WATCH)

Australia captain Pat Cummins has responded to the controversy surrounding the Jonny Bairstow stumping incident in the Lord's Test, dismissing it as a 'non-event' and stating that the concept of the 'spirit of cricket' should not be applied to such dismissals. During England's chase on the final day, Bairstow ducked under a ball assuming the end of the over, only to find himself out of the crease when the ball was thrown at the stumps by Alex Carey. Despite the confusion, the third umpire ruled Bairstow out.

"I don't think a conversation about the spirit of cricket even comes into a dismissal like that. It was plain and simple a stumping," the Australian captain said. "For what I think is a pretty common non-event, it does seem like everyone has a pretty strong opinion about it. I don't think there's any discussion; it's out. If the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn't be looking at the opposition, I'd probably be thinking [about] our own batter, and would be thinking it's pretty silly."

"I know what our team does, and that's [why] we concentrate on ourselves. When we haven't been playing up to scratch, we look pretty deeply at what we are doing, and try to make amends. We don't apportion blame to conditions or opposition or anything else going on," Cummins added.

Throughout the remaining period of Day 5, the Australian team faced a continuous barrage of boos from the crowd, and Stuart Broad didn't hesitate to express his opinion to Cummins regarding the decision. The tension further escalated in the renowned Long Room of the iconic venue, where members were observed confronting the Australian players. Usman Khawaja regarded this incident as truly disheartening. Nonetheless, Cummins emphasised that his players maintained their composure admirably in the face of persistent external pressure.

"I'm really proud of how our boys have conducted themselves [on] this tour, especially on that day five. [I] thought the way they maintained respect for the opposition, the umpires [and] the crowd, their dignity was first-class," Cummins said.

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Cummins also acknowledged his disagreement with Brendon McCullum on the matter. McCullum believed that the relationship between the two teams would be affected for the remainder of the series and expressed his unwillingness to have post-match drinks with the Australian players. "I have no issues with Baz," Cummins responded. "I know how much he enjoys a beer, so that came as a surprise. Maybe we simply have different perspectives, and that's completely fine."

The dismissal of Bairstow occurred at a crucial moment on the final day, when another thrilling fourth-innings chase seemed to be unfolding with Ben Stokes leading the charge. Despite Stokes's remarkable 155, England ended up trailing 2-0 in the Ashes series, and Bairstow's dismissal added an unusual twist to the contest.

With just a three-day gap between the second and third matches, both captains anticipate the tense atmosphere to carry over to the Headingley fixture, commencing on July 6. Cummins is prepared for a "fiery week" and acknowledges the reality that fans may display hostility towards his players.

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"People pay for their tickets, they can turn up... whilst I hope that I would never go to a sporting event and try to abuse players, [which] some people do. I'm sure it'll be a pretty fiery week from the crowd. But again, we're on the field. I think in Australia, we're as guilty as anyone a lot of the time. So I think it's reality, to be honest.

"If you're going to play professional sport, unfortunately, that's one of the things that you're going to have to deal with. It's nothing new. I think you could talk about [it] till the cows come home, but I doubt it's going to make much of a difference," Cummins added.