‘Just move on from it’ - Ben Stokes calls for attention shift towards Headingley as talks around Bairstow's dismissal continue to peak

England skipper, Ben Stokes, has urged his side before the third Test of the ongoing Ashes series to move on from Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal. Bairstow's dismissal triggered controversy between Australia and the home side after he was dismissed by the Australian wicketkeeper, Alex Carey on the last day of the second Test. 

Carey threw an underarm throw to dismiss Bairstow who was out of the crease thinking that the over had concluded, but contrary to the English batter's belief, the umpire gave him out as the ball was still in play.

The Aussies were booed in the Long Room of Lord’s by members of the Marylebone Cricket Club, following which three members of the club were suspended. The stumping saga triggered new drama when UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak supported the home side in Bairstow’s controversial dismissal.

Meanwhile, amid all the commotion Stokes has urged everyone to move on from the controversy surrounding Bairstow's dismissal and focus on the task at hand.

“There's been obviously a lot of noise around the incident last week at Lord's but, from me as a captain and from the England team, I think the best thing that everyone needs to do is just move on from it,” said Stokes to reporters on the eve of third Test as quoted by India Today. 

"I don't think we can galvanise as a group any more than we are, to be honest," he further added. 

Brendon McCullum backs England to make strong comeback

In the context of Bairstow's dismissal, England's red-ball head coach, Brendon McCullum stated that the incident will charge the whole side to make a comeback in the series, as they are currently trailing by 0-2 in the five-match series.

England’s star all-rounder Stokes' heroics in the last Test was not enough to take his side home on Day 5, but he supported McCullum's statement that his team will be galvanised as a group after the incident. 

While in the series, Australia will be looking to win the third Test at Headingley to seal the series and win Ashes in England since 2001, whereas the home side will be looking to make a comeback and win the last three games.