Injured spinner Nathan Lyon has revealed that England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow confronted the Australians in the players’ lunchroom following his controversial dismissal on day five of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Australian gloveman Alex Carey became England’s pantomime villain after stumping Bairstow fifteen minutes before lunch on the final day of the Lord’s Test, which Australia ultimately won by 43 runs to take a 2-0 series lead.
There were ugly scenes in the Lord’s Pavilion Long Room when Australian players retreated for lunch on day five — the MCC has suspended three members after the shameful incident.
Speaking on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast this week, Lyon disclosed that the fallout extended into the players’ lunchroom, with Bairstow having “a few words” with his opponents.
“There were a few Australian guys and a few English guys in the lunchroom, and I hobbled up on my crutches and stood in the middle of it and tried to calm things down a little bit,” Lyon laughed.
“Jonny had a few words here or there. That’s all part of it, I’m all for it.”
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Lyon confessed he and his teammates were “gobsmacked” by the fierce reaction to Bairstow’s stumping, which included condemnation from the British Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Carey has become public enemy No. 1 in the United Kingdom, relentlessly heckled by Leeds spectators during the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
“The emotions in the change room were quite remarkable,” Lyon continued.
“Everyone was gobsmacked but found it hilarious because you walk through that Long Room, and you’re more chance of getting sued than punched.
“So you look at it like that and all these guys abusing you and you’re like, ‘What’s going on here?’
“It was quite funny in all respects.”
Lyon, playing his 100th consecutive Test, suffered a series-ending calf injury on day two of the Lord’s Test, with the off-spinner expected to undergo three months of rehabilitation before his return.
“Ben Duckett played the pull shot, got a top edge and I went to take off and I just heard this little gunshot and just felt it go straight away,” he said.
“I knew straight away my series was done there and then.”
Australian opener Usman Khawaja discussed the “rough” level of abuse Australians have received from crowds during the Ashes, but didn’t divulge what was said to him in the Long Room at Lord’s.
The 36-year-old stopped and engaged with a patron as he and his teammates were heckled by MCC members on day five of the Lord’s Test, during which security had to intervene.
“They‘re rough. If you talk about it to England guys, they say we are equally as rough when (they go to Australia),” Khawaja told reporters this week.
“I don‘t agree with it either way. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. Personally if I am coming to the cricket and watching the cricket, I wouldn’t want my kids to be around that. If I saw that I would 100 per cent make a complaint or just leave.
“I think some of the stuff can be pretty poor.
“Over at Edgbaston they were calling Travis Head a C, U, you know what. I’m like, I can’t believe that you can actually say that in a public domain anywhere.
“It can be a little disappointing at times, and I think we can take it too far in Australia.
“The same thing happens in Australia. I‘m not a big fan of it. I know watching a lot of sport and loving sport that it happens around the world.
“You watch the NBA it happens there. Particularly when crowds can get real close to you, which they can in cricket.
“It is what it is, I don’t necessarily agree with it. I have been doing it my whole life, it doesn’t bother me. And if it does, I will let them know.”
The fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia gets underway at Old Trafford on Wednesday, with the first ball scheduled for 8pm AEST.
— with NCA NewsWire
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