"Great for Test cricket" - Steve Harmison on verbal spat between Ravichandran Ashwin, Jonny Bairstow

Former England right-arm pacer Steve Harmison has claimed that England have started to get under the skin of Rohit Sharma-led Indian team in the ongoing 5-match Anthony De Mello trophy Test series between the two cricketing giants, which is awaiting the 3rd Test to start from February 15 onwards at Rajkot’s Saurashtra cricket stadium.

Steve Harmison made these comments in the light of a short but heated verbal exchange between England batter Jonny Bairstow and India’s veteran bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin. They were seen throwing jabs at each other after the Man of the Match from the 2nd Test Jasprit Bumrah removed Bairstow with a plumb LBW.

During the 4th delivery of the 43rd over right before Lunch on Day 4, Bumrah bowled another of his good length delivery that swung back into Bairstow who was trying to heave the ball to the off side. As the aggressive Englishman opened up his body for the shot, Bumrah’s darting delivery tailed inside the middle and leg stump to hit straight into the knee roll.

Jonny Bairstow had doubts so he asked his skipper Ben Stokes about the dismissal with the latter telling him to go for DRS. After Bumrah cleared the ultra edge hurdle, the ball tracking showed no signs of relief for Bairstow who had to eventually depart 26 runs off 36 deliveries.

When Bairstow was going towards Stokes for the referral, Ashwin appeared in front him and made a celebratory gesture with the former chirping a few words to the off-spinner. That turned out to be the first minor altercation between two players in this series and Steve Harmison in his latest interview with ESPN Cricinfo claimed that it would be good for Test cricket if they argued once again in Rajkot.

“When it comes to competitiveness, to see Bairstow and R Ashwin going at each other, that’s great for Test cricket. There’s a line you don’t cross and I don’t think we are anywhere near that line. You back your own ability, you back your own country, you stand up for your teammates. And if gets into a heated discussion, so be it. That’s fine, there’s no problem.” – Steve Harmison said on ESPNcricinfo via X.

“We’ll Have To Comeback With A Different Gameplan”, Steve Harmison Makes Suggestion To England Ahead Of Rajkot Test

Before his Ashwin and Bairstow remarks, Steve Harmison claimed that England are getting under the skin of team India and claimed that the 3rd Test in Rajkot will be an interesting one given how the Three Lions are going respond after the 106-run loss at Vishakhapatnam. Harmison also stated that England will have to have a new strategy heading into Rajkot.

“England are getting under India’s skin and it’ll be interesting to see how we come back in Rajkot. I think we’ll have to come back with a different plan. There’s no doubt.” – Harmison concluded.

The Three Lions were totally outplayed by Rohit Sharma’s men and if there was anyone they faced the most difficulty against pacer Jasprit Bumrah who registered one of his best figures in the match of 9/91.