A confrontation between Australian batter Travis Head and Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj occurred during the second Border-Gavaskar Test match at Adelaide. Head had hit Siraj for a four and a six before Siraj bowled him out.
Siraj’s celebration after dismissing Head, who was leading the Australian scoring, prompted a verbal exchange on the field. Siraj’s yorker had broken Head’s stumps. He then approached Head, leading to the visible interaction.
Head later commented on the exchange, “I said, ‘Well bowled,’ but he thought otherwise when he pointed me to the sheds. Slightly disappointed with the way that transpired. It is what it is. If they want to react like that, and if that’s how they want to represent themselves, then so be it,” Head told Fox Sports at the end of day two’s play.
Siraj gestured dismissively towards the pavilion, prompting a more forceful reply from Head.
Post-match, both players addressed the incident. Head initially expressed disappointment with Siraj’s behaviour:
“I was surprised at the reaction in terms of the situation of the game,” Head said during his post-match press conference.
“There was no confrontation leading up to it, and I felt like it was probably a little bit far at the time.
I’m disappointed in the reaction that I gave back, but I’m also going to stand up for myself.”
However, Head later clarified to ABC Sport that the two had resolved their differences on day three:
“Sweet with it. He came out and just said [it was] a little bit of misunderstanding … I think we’ll move on. We’ve had a great week, so let’s not let it ruin it,” Head said after being named Player of the Match in the 10-wicket win on his home ground.
Head explained their conversation, revealing Siraj had questioned his use of profanity:
“It was fine. He said, ‘Why’d you swear?’ I sort of said, ‘Look, I didn’t at first … [but] I definitely swore at you the second time round.'”
Head admitted he could have handled the situation differently:
“I probably could have laughed it off and walked off and enjoyed myself. He just said it was a misunderstanding as well, and there were no issues for me. We move on. I’m sweet. It is what it is.”
Siraj, speaking to Star Sports, offered a different perspective on the exchange. He denied saying anything to Head beyond his initial celebration:
“I only celebrated at the start. I didn’t say anything to him,” he said in an interview with the Indian broadcaster, translated from Hindi.
He disputed Head’s account of the incident and accused him of misrepresenting the truth:
“What he said in the press conference wasn’t right. It’s a lie that he only said, ‘Well bowled,’ to me. It’s there for everyone to see that that’s not what he said to me.”
Siraj emphasised his respect for the game and his fellow players:
“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.”
Despite the conflicting accounts, Head and Siraj had a brief interaction on day three when Siraj came to bat. Head, fielding at short leg, further clarified his earlier comments before eventually dismissing Siraj with a catch, bringing India’s innings to a close.
The incident underscores the intensity and competitive spirit often seen in high-stakes cricket matches.
