Australia batter Usman Khawaja pulled away by teammate after confrontation with fan
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Australia batter Usman Khawaja had to be pulled away from an England fan in the Lord's Long Room following Jonny Bairstow's controversial wicket.
The fifth day at the second Test of the Ashes series really came alive not long before lunch with the run-out of Bairstow by Alex Carey.
Bairstow was one of the last remaining hopes for the hosts on the final day of the Lord's Test, after they lost three wickets on Saturday evening.
Ben Duckett's wicket on Sunday morning left Bairstow and Ben Stokes as the only frontline batters left with Stuart Broad leading a long tail.
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Having faced the final ball of the 52nd over of the innings the England wicketkeeper, having a very dramatic Test, believed that the ball was dead, as it was being held by Carey.
He tapped his foot behind the crease to ground himself and then walked down the pitch to check it and share a moment with Stokes.
However the Australian keeper had thrown the ball and knocked over the stumps and got the wicket, with captain Pat Cummins refusing to call the English batter back.
The Aussies were booed by the crowd for the rest of the session which saw Stokes smack the ball around and reach his century.
As they went in for lunch the visitors walked through the Long Room and many of the members showed how unhappy they were with Khawaja confronting one fan before being dragged away.
Usman Khawaja was pulled back by security after speaking to one the members inside the long room 😳
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 2, 2023
🗣️ "I've NEVER seen scenes like that!" pic.twitter.com/2RnjiNssfw
Whilst the decision may have been correct according to the laws of the game, many were referencing the 'spirit of the game,' which is often referenced in cricket.
It's essentially the unwritten rules that allow the game to be played in the traditional values of the sport and with Bairstow not trying to gain an advantage or score a run most felt the wicket went against the spirit.
Australia captain Pat Cummins had the option to call Bairstow back and reverse the appeal for the wicket but chose not to do so.
Taking to social media, former Australia batter Brad Hogg said: "Bairstow wicket, Not Out. Spirit of cricket pushed to the boundary.
"Not attempting a run, end of over, scratched crease then walked for the regulation BS chat between overs between batsman."
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: England, Cricket, Australia, Ben Stokes
