Ben Stokes fires fresh salvo at Australian media; Pat Cummins says will do a Bairstow again in 3rd Ashes Test
Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins stood their ground as temperatures kept rising ahead of the England vs Australia 3rd Test in the Ashes.
The media storm between English and Australian camps has been in flow since the fifth day of the Lord’s Test. It was sparked by Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal that gave birth to an endless debate between the two parties and what their perspective on the wicket was. Jibes have been shared back and forth by the players and media alike, and have set the stage for a thrilling third Test at Headingley starting Thursday.
England captain Ben Stokes has been at the centre of that, stating how he would have withdrawn the appeal had he been the Australian captain. Many other important figures in English cricket also let their thoughts about the matter be heard, but it was met with no-nonsense responses from the Australian media.
The most brazen of these was perhaps the front page of newspaper The Western Australian, which published an image showing Stokes’ head on a baby’s body, with a pacifier in his mouth, with the headline ‘CRYBABIES’.
Stokes had earlier taken to Twitter to respond humorously, writing “That’s definitely not me, since when did I bowl with the new ball.”
He was asked again about the image in a press conference before the Headingley Test and had an equally witty response.
“I mean they could have picked up a photo where I didn't have a beard, it might have made it look a little bit better. It's a bit strange, a baby with a beard on, isn’t it?” said Stokes, his answer met with laughter from the press conference.
“For us, it’s been quite funny to see those things,” continued the all-rounder, who scored a wonderful century in the fourth-innings chase, but in a losing cause. “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, I guess.”
'Will do it again': Pat Cummins on Bairstow-like dismissal
His Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins, stood by the decision, not regretting any of the steps his team took. “We’ve all moved on. As I said the other day, the team did nothing wrong. We’re all comfortable,” said the bowler in his press conference. When asked after the match if he would do the same thing again, he had the very curt and direct one-word reply of “Yeah.”
The Headingley Test is an important one for both parties, with England trying to find a win on a ground that has served them well, but with Australia trying to bury the demons of a lost opportunity during the 2019 series. The atmosphere between the two sets of players will be interesting to watch in the wake of all the comments that have been passed since the end of the second Test.
