‘Good start’: Ashwin has epic reaction to Bairstow standing up to Oil Protestors at Lord's

The ongoing second Ashes Test at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground was halted for a few minutes after a couple of protestors from the 'Just Stop Oil' group invaded the pitch to spread orange powder on the field. The climate activists were stopped from spreading the powder by the England and Australia players. England wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow also tackled one protestor and carried him off the ground.    

3 things you need to know

• Australia defeated England in the first Ashes Test by 2 wickets
• Australia is currently 1-0 ahead in the five-match series
• England won the toss in the 2nd Test and elected to bowl

Also Read: WATCH: Jonny Bairstow Takes Things Into His Own Hands As Oil Protestors Disrupt Ashes Test

After handling the protestors, Jonny Bairstow made a quick visit to the team's changing room to change his kit due to the powder. The staff at Lord's promptly cleaned up any traces of the orange powder that fell on the grass, and the game resumed approximately five minutes later. Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to the incident. He shared a video of the invasion and jokingly wrote, "Bairstow has done some heavy lifting already." 

Also Read: Jonny Bairstow Carries Pitch Invader Off The Field As Climate Activists Halt Ashes Test At Lord's

This incident comes in the wake of protests by the Just Stop Oil activists, who have been disrupting various major sporting events in Britain throughout the year. They briefly halted the England team bus during the Test against Ireland in London earlier this month, and they have also targeted Premier League soccer matches, the Premiership rugby final at Twickenham, and the world snooker championship in Sheffield.

The activists' primary demand is for the Rishi Sunak-led British government to cease issuing new fuel licenses and halt production altogether, in an effort to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

2nd Ashes 2023 Test: What has happened so far?

Earlier in the day, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bowl first. He cited the overcast conditions at Lord's as the reason behind his decision. England chose Josh Tongue after dropping Moeen Ali, while Australia captain Pat Cummins brought in Mitchell Starc to replace Scott Boland.

Image: BCCI/SonyLIV