Following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal at Lord’s, Australia defeated England by 43 runs in a rancorous Ashes Test.

Stokes scored 155 before he was dismissed with England 70 runs short of their steep target.

Australia, bidding for its first Ashes series win away in 22 years, eventually dismissed England for 327.

On the last day, it was the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow shortly before lunch that riled the England team and the crowd.

After ducking Cameron Green’s bouncer, Bairstow walked out of his ground and wicketkeeper Alex Carey under-armed the ball onto the stumps, leaving him for 10 runs.

When Bairstow tapped his bat behind the crease, he thought he had secured his position.

With England 193-6, Australia captain Pat Cummins could have withdrawn the appeal, but third umpire Marais Erasmus ruled Bairstow stumped.

As a reference to Australia’s ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, a usually sedate Lord’s crowd chanted “Same old Aussies, always cheating”.

Carey is forever remembered for that, said incoming batsman Stuart Broad.

According to AFP, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of Lord’s and guardians of cricket’s laws, issued Bairstow correctly.

Players were verbally abused and physically contacted by irate MCC members in the Lord’s Pavilion during lunch, according to an Australia spokesman.

After hitting out on 62, Stokes slammed a fierce pull back at Cummins and the fast bowler dropped it.

In the last six deliveries of the innings, Stokes hit three sixes – the second of which was dropped by Mitchell Starc over the boundary – to reach his 100 from 142 balls.

Although Stokes admitted Bairstow was out, he asked: “Would I want to win a game that way?” For me, the answer is no.”

According to Stokes, his aggression was not motivated by anger at Bairstow’s departure, but rather by his “best option” of taking out the fielders.

It was “nothing untoward or sneaky” about Bairstow’s dismissal, Cummins insisted.

He complained that Jonny was leaving his crease every ball. “It took four or five balls for him to do it. It’s important to stay in your crease when playing cricket. “Bairstow has used it with many of our players.”

The score at lunch was 243-6, with Stokes not out 128.

He continued his spectacular assault two balls after the interval with a brilliant straight six against Josh Hazlewood.

Carey missed a diving chance on 114, but he was dropped two balls later when Smith grassed a routine chance.

In the second innings, Stokes hit a remarkable one-handed six off Hazlewood.

The off-spinner, who limped out to bat at No 11 on Saturday, was forced to leave the field following a severe calf tear he suffered while fielding on Thursday.

England reached 359, still their highest fourth-innings winning total against Australia when Stokes’ unbeaten century secured a thrilling one-wicket win in an Ashes Test at Headingley.

To end a 214-ball inning, he struck out against Hazlewood.

In spite of Stokes’ standing ovation, England was all but out after 301-7.

After Ollie Robinson and Broad fell in quick succession, Starc bowled Josh Tongue to end the match.

As England prepare for Thursday’s third Test at Headingley, they face a mountain to climb.

During the 1936/37 Ashes series, the Australia side led by Don Bradman recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2.