After Australia’s victory over India at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, captain Pat Cummins addressed the verbal exchange between Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj during the day-night Test. The incident added some drama to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Siraj aggressively sending off Head after dismissing him for a counter-attacking century. Following Head’s dismissal, Siraj made a gesture, and Head responded with words of his own. The Australian crowd responded by booing Siraj.
In a post-match press conference, Cummins said, “To be honest, they (India) can do whatever they want. I’m more worried about our boys, but like always, I thought our boys’ behaviour was excellent this week. Travis Head is vice-captain of the team. He’s a big boy, he can talk for himself,” as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Earlier, Indian captain Rohit Sharma defended Siraj’s on-field aggression, calling it a ‘motivator’ while stressing the importance of respecting the spirit of the game. Siraj was criticised for his actions after dismissing Head, who had made 140 runs before being bowled out by a brilliant delivery from the pacer.
Also Read- IPL 2025: Will RCB Name Rajat Patidar as Captain, Replacing Virat Kohli?
Rohit further explained, “There’s a thin line between being aggressive and crossing the limit. As captain, it’s my responsibility to ensure we don’t cross that line. A word or two here and there doesn’t make a huge difference.” He added, “Siraj likes to get into the battle. It gives him success. As captain, it’s my job to back that aggression. We don’t want to cross anything that disrespects the game. In the past, we’ve seen many cricketers thrive in such battles, and Siraj is definitely one of them.”
With the series tied 1-1, both teams will now head to Brisbane for the third Test, scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 14.
