Mohammed Siraj receives a tongue lashing from former Australia captain Mark Taylor after the India pacer became public enemy number one in Adelaide after his fiery send-off of Australian centurion Travis Head on Day 2.
The incident occurred during the second innings of the Test match when Head was bowled by Siraj following a superb knock. Siraj smashed his stumps and sent Head off, igniting an ugly altercation between the two players.
When Mohammed Siraj came out to bat on the third day, both players were seen chatting intensely with one another. Surprisingly, Travis Head took the catch that dismissed Mohammed Siraj, and it was also the Indian innings’ last wicket.
During the Adelaide Test, Siraj and Head had an ugly fight. Both players further accused each other of the incident. Head reported that he said “well bowled” to Mohammed Siraj but did not receive a well-deserved response from the quick.
Mohammed Siraj answered by plainly alleging that Head lied in the press conference and did not react properly to losing his wicket. While it is unclear who is on the right end, both players looked to be talking to each other as Siraj came out to bat on Day 3 of the Test.
“That’s got to stop”- Mark Taylor not happy with Mohammed Siraj’s needless aggression
Taylor, a former Australian Test captain and great of the game, told the Willow Talk podcast that Siraj’s actions were ‘disrespecting the game’, citing not only his dismissal of Head.
He also pointed out Siraj’s repeated ‘celebrappeals’ in which he begins celebrating wickets without even looking back at the umpire – often for the umpire to rule the Australian batter not out, as happened when he thought he’d trapped Marnus Labuschagne LBW.
“I don’t know who instigated it, but it’s not a good look, particularly when a guy makes 140. I’d like to see someone have a little word to Mohammed Siraj. I like his competitive nature, he’s a fine bowler… 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’ll be the umpires or the match referee – might stop it for him, and give him a game off. We don’t want that,” Taylor said.
Taylor asked senior Indian players, including captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, to ‘have a wee chat’ with the fiery pacer.
“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’,” he said.
India will face Australia in the third Test in Brisbane on December 14.
Also Read: Morne Morkel Admits India’s Struggle With Pink Ball In 2nd Adelaide Test
