India firebrand Mohammed Siraj has accused Travis Head of lying, and abusing him in their heated clash during the second Test.
Siraj gave Australia‘s century maker Head a send-off on Saturday in the second Test in Adelaide and could face sanction from the International Cricket Council.
Head expressed disappointment in the Indian fast bowler after receiving a verbal barrage from Siraj, who also gestured towards the dressing room after bowling the Australian batsman for 140.
With Head responded with some choice words of his own, the incident is certain to be scrutinised by the Adelaide Test’s match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
‘I actually joked with him and said ‘well bowled’ and then he pointed me to the sheds,’ Head told reporters after play.
‘I would like a better reaction (from Siraj). I was surprised at the reaction in terms of the situation of the game.
Mohammed Siraj has accused Travis Head of lying, and abusing him in their heated clash
‘I felt it was probably, yeah, a little bit far at the time.
‘And that is why I am disappointed in the reaction that I gave back, but I am also going to stand up for myself.
‘I’d like to think in our team that we wouldn’t do that. It’s not how I would like to play the game, and I feel like my teammates are the same.’
Siraj fired back at Head in an interview with Indian broadcaster Star Sports before Sunday’s play in Adelaide.
In the interview, conducted in Hindi, Siraj said Head had lied.
‘After bowling him out, I celebrated, then he abused me,’ Siraj said in comments translated into English by the India Today website.
‘You can see on TV as well.
‘In the start, it was my celebration, I didn’t say anything to him.
Siraj gave Australia’s century maker Head a send-off on Saturday in the second Test in Adelaide and could face sanction from the International Cricket Council
Head said afterwards that he felt that the Indian quick had gone too far
‘In the press conference, he said wrong thing. He lied.
‘No way he said ‘well bowled’.
‘We respect everyone. I always respect everyone because cricket is a gentleman’s game.
‘Travis Head’s actions were wrong. I did not feel good.’
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor called for India’s senior core to caution Siraj.
‘I’d like to see someone have a little word to Mohammed Siraj,’ Taylor told the Willow Talk podcast.
‘I like his competitive nature. He’s a fine bowler..
‘Someone like a Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli needs to go up to him and say: ‘Mate, yeah, be excited, be aggressive, get in batsmen’s face, love all that, but that is disrespecting the game and the umpire’.’
After the incident, Siraj was loudly and repeatedly booed by the crowd in Head’s home town.
Travis Head smacked 140 off 141 deliveries on Saturday
Ex-India captain Sunil Gavaskar said he could understand the crowd’s reaction, describing Siraj’s send-off as ‘unnecessary’.
‘The man (Head) has got 140, he hasn’t got out for one or two,’ Gavaskar told Star Sports.
‘You don’t give a send-off to someone who has batted brilliantly and won the crowd over.
‘Instead of becoming a hero for dismissing him, Siraj has become the villain.
‘If Siraj had simply applauded Head after that dismissal, he would have been a hero for everyone in the stadium.
‘Instead he got the stick from the crowd – and understandably so.’
