I have a new name for Bazball – McGrath column

What a week.

I have been thinking about it a lot, reading all of the reaction, and it has had me in two minds.

Originally I would have liked to have seen Australia captain Pat Cummins withdraw his appeal, after Alex Carey stumped Bairstow as the Englishman wandered out of his crease.

But the more I think about it the more I think it was the right decision from Cummins. I think it is a sign of something deeper in England’s mentality.

What is telling is every single one of the former players I have spoken to, English or Australian, did not have a problem with it. Even West Indies legend Brian Lara has said it was out.

Now, I am a fan of Bazball. The concept of backing yourself, playing without fear and putting pressure back on the opposition – that I agree with wholeheartedly.

But Bairstow’s dismissal epitomises what we have seen from England in this series.

It has been Casual Ball – CazBall if you will, not Bazball.

If you go back to day one of the Lord’s Test, England were too casual.

After a rain delay, Australia’s batters were champing at the bit to get out there. The umpires were on the field, but despite conditions massively in their favour, half the England players, captain included, still had their feet up on the balcony.

In the first Test England declared on day one – again, casual.

Later in that match, Ollie Robinson came out and said Australia had three numbers 11s, one of whom was Nathan Lyon who would go on to win the game with the bat.

And I love the freedom England are playing with, but some of the shots they have played you have to ask the question.

Maybe there is accountability inside the dressing room but the noise coming out is ‘we give the batters freedom’ and ‘it’s up to them’.

That is like running a race, finishing 27th and someone giving you a medal. This is Test cricket. It is the Ashes!

I think back to the 2005 series and the team I played against, featuring Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and others.

They were hard and always ready for a battle, as well as playing well and with confidence.

If they had been given the opportunities this England team have had, at Edgbaston and then at Lord’s, let me tell you, they would not be 2-0 down.

The Bairstow dismissal, the Yorkshireman walking out of his crease like he owned the game, was the culmination of everything we have seen from this current team.

I have read a lot about the ‘spirit of cricket’ this week. Well, you have to respect Test cricket with your attitude as well. You cannot just go wandering out of your crease.

It took something like the Bairstow incident for England to realise they are in the battle – and that is disappointing.

The way Stuart Broad came out to bat you could see he was up for the fight. A few days earlier he had been stood with his arm around David Warner.

When things hit the fan England’s players are suddenly fired up, but they are already 2-0 down. It’s like closing the gate after the horse has bolted. Why did it take the Bairstow stumping to gee England, and the crowd, up?

If the English public are going to have any issues it should be that.

I also hope the furore does not overshadow Ben Stokes’ unbelievable innings. The way he flicked the switch and smashed 155, including nine sixes, was incredible.

Stokes is going to be remembered as one of the greats of the game when he retires, if he is not already in that bracket.

Of course the other controversial moment during the Lord’s Test was the Mitchell Starc ‘catch’ of Ben Duckett late on day four.

I made my feelings very clear. I was frustrated and, although I accept the decision and the laws of the game, my opinion has not really changed.

The law says you have to be in full control of your movement before grounding the ball, but I have never seen a catch cleanly taken that high above the ground be ruled to have been dropped.

That law should be for low catches where you scoop the ball up close to the ground – or for diving catches when the ball is only in your fingertips.

Others will disagree but, I’m sorry, the law should not be there for a situation like Starc’s.

All in all we know the atmosphere is going to be intense this weekend at Headingley.

It is going to be hostile and I hope it goes no further, given what we witnessed in the Long Room at Lord’s.

Headingley’s Western Terrace and the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston get talked about a lot but, I’ll be honest, when I was a player we won almost every time we came here so it was not too bad.

It wasn’t until the final day in 2005, when Kevin Pietersen had got his hundred, that the England crowd gave us it hard.

I was here in 2019 though, when Stokes played that amazing knock to win the Ashes Test almost singlehandedly. The atmosphere was incredible that day.

The Australians are going to cop it, there is no doubt about that, with all of the talk being it is going to galvanise England, but don’t rule out it having the same impact on Australia.

They will feel like they are under attack from every angle and will come together as a team.

Of course they are going to have to be focused because England are going to come hard. I’m expecting some real Ashes cricket.

Before the series I predicted every Test would be close with Australia winning them all and the series ending 5-0.

So far, so good…

Glenn McGrath was speaking to BBC Sport’s Matthew Henry