Would he and his team do it all over again if they could? Yes. On Sunday, when Australia led 2-0 in the five-match series, world cricket was split in two after an incident in the first session of the final day.

England, despite losing five wickets, looked confident to catch up with 371 teams at Lord’s, thanks to Ben Stokes scoring just his third 150+ in Test cricket.

Australia and England reset their bowling attacks for the expected tumultuous third Ashes Test at Headley on Thursday.

At the other end, having left the last ball of the 52nd over alone, Bairstow leaves the cage almost instantly and starts moving to his partner. He thinks the ball is dead, but Alex Carey ensures that his armpit shot hits the stump, and the Australian begins to celebrate. Bairstow looks puzzled. The third referee, Marais Erasmus, checks the ball and thinks the Englishman is out. A few words are exchanged between two groups of players in the center of the field.

The debate around the Spirit of Cricket was sparked by, as English skipper Ben Stokes put it after the second test: Do I want to win this way? For me, the answer is no.

England head coach Brandon McCullum also suggested: I don’t think we (the two teams) will be drinking beer anytime soon.