I had no doubt that I was in control of the ball. They were operating under the letter of the law, which states that when my body braked, the ball ended up on the turf, Stark told cricket.com.au on Sunday.

This will be interesting in the future (similar catches). But we have to accept that case, just like they have to accept the penalty, he added.

In the 52nd minute, Bairstow dodged Cameron Green’s bouncer and walked out of the trap without landing the bat, believing the ball was dead and the game was over.

But no sooner had he reached midfield to face Ben Stokes than he heard the Aussies celebrating. Shocked, he turned around and saw that the bails were broken. Vigilant Australian wicket-keeper Alex Carey scooped up the ball at the stump and Bairstow was out of bounds. The on-field umpires referred the decision to TV man Mara Erasmus, who gave him an out.

Let me put it this way – his (Bairstow) out was the same as mine, Stark said. If you follow the letter of the law, those were the right decisions. We’ll leave that in the hands of the officials.

Australia eventually won the match by 43 points and led 2-0 for the Ashes, but the victory was marred by a lot of controversy surrounding the tests.