Ashes 2023: Ex-Australia captain hails Alex Carey for Jonny Bairstow’s wicket

The second Ashes Test match may have come to an end but opinions around Ben Stokes’s brilliant performance and Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal do not seem to end any time soon. Several current and former cricketers have voiced their opinions on Bairstow’s wicket. The latest addition to this list is former Australian captain Mark Taylor. The ex-cricketer did not only agree with Alex Carey’s stumping but also hailed the wicketkeeper for his contribution to his side. Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal took place during the final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Sunday, July 2.

Ashes 2nd Test: Mark Taylor on Alex Carey

Speaking to Channel 9, Mark Taylor said that Alex Carey had a terrific game. “I think he just gets better every time I watch him,” said Taylor. While commenting on Jonny Bairstow’s wicket, Mark Taylor said that with the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow, Alex Carey made a vital contribution to his team’s performance. The 58-year-old also credited him for England opener Zak Crawley’s stumping down the leg side. “The stumping to remove (Zak) Crawley in the first innings was crucial, the catch down the leg side today, obviously the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow. What he's doing is he's thinking all the time about how he can contribute to Australia's performance,” Mark Taylor told Channel 9.

Ashes 2nd Test: Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal

Jonny Bairstow’s wicket was one of the most talked about incidents of the Lord’s Test. The English batsman was declared out by the third umpire when heleft the crease and wicketkeeper Alex Carey hit the bails. Several cricketers questioned Bairstow’s carelessness in leaving the crease even before the ball was bowled. His dismissal shifted the momentum in favour of Australia. England were reduced to 193/6 while chasing 371.

Ashes 2023: The road so far

The first Ashes 2023 Test was played at Edgbaston. Australia won the match by 2 wickets. The high-octane drama and skipper Pat Cummins’s brilliant performance of 44 not out was the standout in the final game. The second Test started on June 28 at Lords. With a neck-to-neck fight till the last day, Australia were successful in sending the entire English team back to the pavilion for 327. Even after Ben Stokes’ 155 and Ben Duckett’s 83, host England lost the match by 43 runs.

Australia now have a 2-0 lead in the Ashes 2023 series. The third Test will be played from July 6 at Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds.