'Don't take even one backward step...give it back to the Aussies': Ravi Shastri defends Mohammed Siraj amid attitude criticism

Mohammed Siraj was jeered by the fans during the Adelaide Test match after expressing his ire at Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.

Nikhil

• Tue • 10 Dec 2024

Australia's Travis Head (L) and India's Mohammed Siraj in frame

Highlights:

Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head's fight created lots of headlines.

ICC has penalised both cricketers.

Ravi Shastri defends Mohammed Siraj.

Mohammed Siraj should maintain his fiery demeanour in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, according to former India head coach Ravi Shastri. Siraj should not hold back at all, Shastri stated in his column in the Australian publication Code. The fiery former head coach, who led his team to two tours of Australia, claimed that the goal of his term was to return the initiative to the Australians and that throughout the entire series, not a single Indian player retreated. Siraj was jeered by the fans during the Adelaide Test match after expressing his ire at Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Shastri feels that an aggressive celebration like Siraj's is common for a fast bowler.

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Shastri on Mohammed Siraj

"I’m sure Siraj and Head are mature individuals who will deal with it and the dust would have settled already. If anything, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from a fast bowler after he’d been hit for a six. Siraj was letting off some steam. That’s the fast bowler’s temperament. You want it to be like that," Shastri wrote in his column at the Code.

"When I was playing, my philosophy was to give it back as good as you get. And it’s exactly what I would tell my players when I was coaching India in Australia. Do not hold back one bit. Do not take even one backward step. It then became the team’s philosophy and everyone from Virat Kohli to Rishabh Pant and every member of the squad was prepared to give it back to the Aussies," he added.

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Siraj and Head penalised

After the pacer bowled Travis on Day 2 of the pink ball Test match, Siraj and Head got into a furious al;tercation. Throughout the game, both players were verbally sparring and making fun of one another both on and off the field. Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj were sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their altercation on the field during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide.

20 per cent of Siraj's match fees was penalized. Head was reprimanded for his verbal altercation with the Indian fast bowler, but evaded the fine. Head and Siraj received one demerit point each for violating the ICC Code of Conduct. The second Test, which Australia won by 10 wickets on December 8, was spiced up by the face-off between the bowler and the batter. Head was accused by Siraj of using abusive language towards him.