Second Test in spirit & game

While Bairstow’s stumping drew attention, the Long Room incident indicated a bigger issue

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

THE Spirit of Cricket was broken on Sunday. Just not in the way England thought it was. As the Australian team entered the Lord’s Long Room following a raucous end to the morning session, MCC members decided to take out their frustration on several members of the visiting side, including their only Muslim player, Usman Khawaja. Videos of the incident clearly showed Khawaja arguing with members of the Club — some of the poshest seats in all of sport anywhere in the world — after abuse had rained down.

Abuse for what exactly? Abuse because Australia had been alert to Jonny Bairstow going awol multiple times without knowing the rules of game, rules MCC themselves had put in place. In a roundabout way, the members then were booing their own laws. The specific law in question is 20.1.2. It states: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”