STUART BROAD: It amazes me that NOT ONE Aussie thought the appeal was wrong

The amazing thing about sport, and this seems to apply to cricket more than most, is how it divides opinion.

We saw it with Mitchell Starc’s catch on Saturday evening: all of Australia thought it was out, all of England, me included, thought it was not out.

But the crux of the matter for Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal at Lord’s on Sunday was whether he was looking to gain an advantage.

Yes, I have seen a clip from earlier in the match when in his guise as wicketkeeper, Jonny himself threw the ball at the stumps. But that was because Marnus Labuschagne was batting outside of his crease — in doing so, attempting to take the lbw out of the game. In other words, seeking an advantage.

Clips of Colin de Grandhomme being run out in the Lord’s Test last year have done the rounds, too, and that is just the most ludicrous comparison ever, because he got hit on the pad coming down the pitch, was searching for a run and Ollie Pope threw down the stumps from gully. Again, trying to gain an advantage.

Pat Cummins (left) chose not to rescind his side’s appeal after Bairstow’s controversial wicket

Controversy has subsequently shrouded the Test match with many claiming the dismissal was not in the spirit of the game 

England’s Stuart Broad has opened up on a combustible and controversial day at Lord’s

With regards to the Jonny incident, zero advantage was being taken there: he let the ball go, scratched his mark within the crease, and acknowledging it as the end of the over, went to speak to Ben Stokes.

And if you look at the footage of when the stumps were broken, one umpire has got the bowler’s cap in his hand, the other is head down, walking in from square leg — actions that suggest they too thought the over had finished.

So, within the laws of the game, is the ball still live because Alex Carey catches it and throws it? Probably. Is there any advantage being taken by England? No. Does a full stadium of people think that ball has been and gone? Yes. On BBC radio commentary, Jonathan Agnew has already moved on from the calling of the ball.

What amazed me, and what I told the Australians I could not believe as we left the field at lunch, was that not one senior player among them — and I very much understand in the emotion of the game that the bowler and wicketkeeper would have thought ‘that’s out’ — questioned what they had done.

Especially given what their team has been through over recent years, with all their cultural change. Not one of them said: ‘Hang on, lads. I’m not really sure about this.’ Not one of them thought: ‘He’s gaining no advantage. He’s not trying to get a run. It’s the end of the over. It’s a bit of a random dismissal. We should cancel that appeal.’

Ultimately, Pat Cummins is a really great guy and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, ‘I got that one wrong’, even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match.

The Lord’s crowd are obviously huge cricket lovers and never before have I seen a reaction from them like that. They were so angry.

Bairstow seemingly stepped out of his crease following the over to talk to Ben Stokes at the non-strikers end. He had also scratched the crease before crossing the line

Alex Carey (pictured) saw Bairstow leaving and threw the ball at the stumps, dismissing him

At the time England were mounting a run chase, but Australia would go on to win by 43 runs

Following the controversy, Sir Geoffrey Boycott told Cummins (pictured) and Australia that they must apologise to England

Broad (right) arrived in Bairstow’s wake and proceeded to wind-up the Australians by sarcastically letting them know he was in his crease on several occasions

At the end of that first session, the change from the roar the Long Room gave to Ben Stokes to the boos they reserved for the Australians walking in was stark. They knew way before that point how controversial a decision they had made. 

I am not saying that the MCC members shouting at players was right but having toured Australia four times, I certainly do not think hostile behaviour towards away teams is unusual.

The red mist came over me, too, when I arrived at the crease to replace Jonny, and some of what I said was picked up on the stump mics — which naively, given my experience, I didn’t really think about.

I was angered by Australia’s decision, particularly having heard their lines about creating a new legacy as a team, and how they have changed since the tour of South Africa in 2018.

I just said to Pat on repeat: ‘All these boos are for you, for your decision.’ And: ‘What a great opportunity you had to think clearly.’

Also, I needed to support Ben Stokes in any way, shape or form I could, and I am always better when I’m in a bit of a battle. I normally try and pick a fight with someone on the opposition but on this occasion I picked a fight with the whole team.

To Alex Carey, I said: ‘This is what you’ll be remembered for, and that’s such a shame.’

It may have been a bit silly, but I also shouted ‘in’ every time I crossed the line. It annoyed the Australians for maybe half-an-hour, although after two-and-a-half hours, they were probably a bit bored of it. To be honest, it was a pleasure to be out there with Stokesy when he was in one of those moods.

We were both in our zones. He wanted me to react to him. So if he was going to run, go with him, if he wasn’t, don’t move.

In those situations, he chooses what balls he wants to face and what he wants to do, and the cleanliness of his striking towards the leg side, both hitting sixes over the fielders and placing fours between them, is extraordinary.

There was only really one way you could hit out as a left-hander on that slow pitch — with the wind, towards Father Time. I actually felt for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood having to bowl from the Nursery End because Stokesy was cleverly targeting deliveries from there and just sort of surviving at the other end.

That brilliant 155 gave us a fighting chance and when you finish a Test match, and lose by 43 runs, you look at everything and think: where could we have got those 43 from? To be four down for 45 early and get so close to a target of 371 was very impressive, especially losing Jonny in that manner.

To repeat, it was not the act that annoyed me, it was the fact they upheld the appeal.

Headingley is not the quietest place at the best of times but this week we will have to use the atmosphere to our advantage. 

Tempers flared inside the Long Room at Lord’s as members heckled the Australian players heading for the dressing room 

Stokes mounted a late run chase for England but despite scoring an admirable 155, helping to cut the deficit, his side fell short of the mark

Stokes and Cummins were seen sharing a word after play had concluded on Day Five at Lord’s

Yes, we are 2-0 down after two pretty theatrical Test matches that have lived up to what Ashes cricket is about but when I look at our changing room, most of us have got a bit more ‘performance’ in us, and we will bring that to Leeds.

I said at the start of the summer that I would be happy playing one Test but my job now is to rest, recuperate and get myself available for Thursday.

Selection is not my call, but although I have bowled more balls than anyone else in the series I will be ready for another five days.

And I believe that whoever we put out on the field, we will do the business. Three matches left, we will now be faced with three result pitches. This series has turned into a shootout and we are very confident we can still do this.