Travis Head and bowler Mohammed Siraj engaged in a furious on-field altercation on the second day of the Adelaide Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Siraj gave Head, who hit 140 runs, a heated send-off that elicited conflicting reactions from the audience. Head addressed the matter and expressed dissatisfaction with the Indian team’s performance.
The high point of Day 2 was Head’s counterattacking century, which put the hosts up by 157 runs. India was left reeling from the southpaw’s aggressive style, which kept the scoreboard moving. However, Siraj’s yorker sent the left-hander back to the pavilion, finishing his innings. Siraj then gave an impassioned farewell, which sparked a quick verbal exchange amongst the players.
The end of a sensational innings! 🗣️#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/kEIlHmgNwT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 7, 2024
The Adelaide audience didn’t like the altercation and jeered Siraj for his actions. Head talked about the incident in his post-day interview, saying that he thought the Indian bowler misunderstood what he had said while originally applauding Siraj’s delivery.
“He didn’t agree with my statement that I was “well bowled.” He got a small retort from me as he directed me to the shed. I’m a little let down with the way everything went. The situation is what it is. “It’s okay if they want to behave that way and that’s how they see themselves,” Head added.
Taking my chance and putting the guys in a favourable position is nice: Travis Head
The Australian batsman thought the Indian squad was not being sportsmanlike. But according to Head, it’s a part of the game. Head considered his innings’ importance in spite of the drama on the pitch. Harrison, his newborn son, was the recipient of the knock. Head remarked that if he hadn’t honoured the event, he may have received criticism from his wife, as he had done when his first child was born.
“A couple of weeks ago, our son was born. Then, when Miller was born, it was done. My wife would have reprimanded me if I hadn’t done it when Harrison was born. Every so often I took a chance. They bowled pretty well at one point, but at other moments it was difficult to get a bat on. I’m glad I took a chance and placed the team in a favourable position,” Head said.
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