India firebrand Mohammed Siraj has hit back at Travis Head, labelling the Aussie’s comments a “lie” as the pair exchanged more words during play on Day 3 of the second Test at Adelaide Oval.
Siraj gave Australia’s century maker Head a heated send-off on Saturday in the second Test in Adelaide and could face sanction from the International Cricket Council.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Siraj gives Head a fiery send-off.
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Head expressed disappointment in the Indian fast bowler after copping a verbal spray from Siraj, who also gestured towards the dressing room after bowling the Australian batsman for 140.
Head responded with some choice words of his own with the flashpoint certain to be scrutinised by the Adelaide Test’s match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
“I actually jokingly said well bowled and when he pointed to the sheds I had my reaction as well,” the Aussie batsman said in his press conference at stumps.
“I don’t want to give it too much air time. I feel like the way I play the game, I would like a better reaction. I was surprised at the reaction in terms of the situation of the game and the lead-up.
“There was no confrontation leading up to it. I felt like it was probably a little bit far at the time.
“That’s why I’m disappointed in the reaction I gave back but that’s why I’m also going to stand up for myself. I’d like to think in our team we wouldn’t do that.
“It’s not how I’d like to play the game and I feel like my teammates are the same. If I saw that in those circumstances I’d probably call it out, which I did.”
But in a fresh twist, Siraj claimed he never heard Head’s “well bowled” remark, but did hear abusive comments.
“I was enjoying bowling to him, it was a good battle. He batted really well. At the end of the day, as a bowler when he hits you for six off your good balls, something stirs in the blood, inside you – the passion rises,” Siraj told Indian broadcaster Star in a translation provided by ESPNcricinfo.
“My celebration after bowling him – I was just celebrating, but his abusive reaction can be seen on television. If you see, at the start I didn’t say a word – I was just celebrating only initially.
“Later, at the press conference, he said wrong things – he claimed he said ‘well bowled’ to me. But that’s a lie. There was no ‘well bowled’ that I could see.
“And he talked about respect. I mean, we respect everyone. We don’t disrespect. I always have respected people as cricket is a gentleman’s game. But what he did wasn’t right. I didn’t like it at all.”
The pair had a brief chat out on the field on Day 3, but it was unclear what was said.
Meanwhile, 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.
“But I’d like someone to have a word with him because I don’t like the fact that when he hits a guy on the pads and he thinks he’s got him out lbw, he continues to run down the pitch, past the batsman, almost gets to the keeper and then looks around to the umpire to see if he’s going to give it out.
“That’s got to stop. And if it doesn’t stop shortly someone, and it will be the umpires or the match referee who might stop it for him, and give him a game off. We don’t want that.
“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.
Ex-India captain Sunil Gavasker 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,” Gavasker 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.”
– With AAP