However, Carey played within the rules and broke the stump, and third judge Mare Erasmus ruled the blow in favor of Australia.

A stunned Bairstow stepped back, but a disgruntled England captain after the game did not appreciate the Aussies’ tactics, as he thought they clearly knew that Bairstow did not venture onto the field in an attempt to steal a run.

Would I have wanted to win the game that way? I think the answer for me is no, Stokes told the BBC Test Match Special after the game.

In fact, sassy Stuart Broad, next to Bairstow, didn’t let Cary go without letting him know how he felt.

That’s all you’ll be remembered for, the stump tapped into the microphone as Broad expressed his displeasure to Cary.

However, Ashwin, who was always lectured on the spirit of cricket, praised Cary for showing proper cricket savvy.

We must realize one fact loud and clear. A keeper will never hit stumps from that distance in a Test match unless he or his team has noticed a pattern of the batter leaving his cage after the ball leaves, as Bairstow did. We should applaud the man’s playmaking mind, not the skewing toward foul play or the spirit of the game, Ashwin wrote on Twitter.

Under ICC Playing Conditions Rule 20.1.2, Carey had every right to break the stump.

Rule 20.1.2 states: The ball is considered dead when it is clear that