Discussion about dead ball after Bairstow’s dismissal, read what are the rules regarding this

England vs Australia, Ashes 2023: Since the dismissal of Johnny Bairstow in the Lord’s Test match between England and Australia, there has been a continuous discussion about the dead ball rule. During the game on the 5th day of the second Test match, Johnny Bairstow came out of his crease immediately after leaving a short ball and went forward. Meanwhile, the wicketkeeper hit the ball on the stump. After this, Bairstow had to get out and go towards the pavilion.

After this wicket, where the Australian team is constantly facing the displeasure of the fans of England. At the same time, the British media has also accused him of not playing according to the spirit of the game. When Bairstow came out of his crease, he felt that the ball was dead, but it was not so. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball towards the wicket without stopping it near him.

When is the ball dead according to the rules of cricket?,

According to Rule 20, in many incidents the ball can be declared dead, it is divided into 2 parts. According to rule number 20.1.1.1, the ball will be dead during the game when it reaches back to the wicketkeeper or the bowler and is settled, but only the umpire can decide whether the ball is settled or not.

At the same time, according to rule 20.1.2, the ball will be considered dead during the game when the umpire will feel that the fielding team and both the batsmen have returned to their respective places. After this the ball becomes dead.

Was the ball dead in Bairstow’s dismissal?

Johnny Bairstow was continuously getting out even before his crease. In such a situation, after leaving the ball before Carey dismissed him, Bairstow moved forward by pulling the line with his right foot at the crease. In such a situation, it can be considered a sign from his side that he was not trying to take runs. However, according to the rules, the ball is still active until both the fielding team and the batsmen on the wicket think otherwise.

In this incident, a reverse angle clearly showed Carey throwing the ball back towards the stumps before Bairstow was dismissed. Carey and his teammates apparently believed that the ball was still in play, and therefore, it was not considered a dead ball. The important thing is that Bairstow was in his crease when Carey bowled. He did not wait to drop the ball, leaving no doubt that Australia still had the ball in play.

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