Daily Times

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has claimed that it was Travis Head who “abused” him first during their altercation on the second day of the Adelaide Test.

The incident occurred when Siraj bowled Head for 140, a ball after getting hit for six, and celebrated animatedly. There was a send-off from the bowler and some words said by Head, which weren’t very clear on the broadcast.

“It was a great battle going on [with Head] and he batted really well,” Siraj told Star Sports Hindi before the third day’s play. “When you get hit for a six on a good ball, it fires you up differently. And when I bowled him, I just celebrated and he abused me and you saw that on TV too. I only celebrated at the start, I didn’t say anything to him. What he said in the press conference wasn’t right, it’s a lie that he said ‘well bowled’ to me. It’s there for everyone to see that that’s not what he said to me.

“We respect everyone, it’s not like we disrespect other players. I respect everybody because cricket is a gentleman’s game, but what he did wasn’t right. I didn’t like it at all.”

Head had said in the press conference after the second day that he had jokingly said “well bowled” to Siraj after his dismissal. “It probably [went] a little bit far, that’s why I’m disappointed in the reaction I gave back but I’m also going to stand up for myself. Like to think in our team we wouldn’t do that. [It’s] not the way I’d like to play the game and feel like my team-mates are the same. If I see that, I probably call it out, which I did.”

Speaking to SEN radio before the third day’s play, Head said: “No one really wants to see that in the game. I feel like both teams can probably represent themselves a little bit better and respect each a little bit more in those situations, and we move on.”

India captain Rohit Sharma played down the incident at the press conference after the game. “I was standing at the slips, I don’t know what was exchanged but two competitive teams are going at each other. These things happen,” he said.