Jonny Bairstow Row Casts Shadow Over Third Ashes Test

Australia can expect to face a fired-up England and a furious crowd in the third Ashes Test at Headingley starting Thursday as the row over Jonny Bairstow's divisive dismissal at Lord's rumbles on. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have even traded verbal bouncers over the issue, which started when Bairstow was given out stumped by opposing wicketkeeper Alex Carey during what the England batsman thought was a break in play.

Bairstow's exit, in a match Australia won by 43 runs to go 2-0 up in the five-match Ashes despite England captain Ben Stokes's stunning 155, sparked a chorus of boos at a normally sedate Lord's and led to three MCC members being suspended for allegedly abusing visiting players in the pavilion.

To add fuel to the fire, the third Test is taking place at Bairstow's Yorkshire home ground, with increased security measures expected at Headingley -- traditionally one of English cricket's most raucous venues.

Many within the Australian game have been stunned by the vehemence of English reaction to a legitimate dismissal and the attempts to link it to their side's Sandpapergate ball-tampering controversy in South Africa five years ago.

But former England captain Mike Atherton said rather than world Test champions Australia abusing the 'Spirit of Cricket', Bairstow had been guilty of "dozy cricket".

Stokes insisted he would have withdrawn the appeal and Joe Root, his predecessor as England skipper, endorsed that view by saying Tuesday: "As a team we want to play our cricket in a certain way and leave a certain legacy."

Asked how Bairstow might react Root, recalling England's record-fourth innings chase of 378 against India, when he and his Yorkshire team-mate both