It was a forgettable outing for Mohammed Siraj on Day 2 of the third Test at The Gabba, Brisbane. He remained wicketless for two sessions, got injured, was booed by the crowd and almost injured teammate Ravindra Jadeja with a wild throw at the non-striker's end. It led to former English cricketer-turned-commentator Mark Nicholas thinking whether there is a 'civil war' in the Indian side.
The incident took place in Jadeja's one of the overs in the second session. Indian bowlers were frustrated as they were looking to break the partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith. As Head took a single, Siraj rushed towards the ball and threw the ball towards non-striker's end which wasn't needed at the time as the batter comfortably made his ground.
Jadeja collected the ball and put it on the ground signalling to Siraj. The pacer was quick to apologise as throw hurt Jadeja's hand.
Reacting to the exchange between the two teammates, Nicholas said, “There is a bit of civil war on the field as Siraj's enthusiasm gets the better of him. He flung the ball so hard that it could have gone for four byes, but Jadeja gave him a right look. He must have said, ‘You almost broke my finger, pal. Take it easy’.”
Siraj toils hard at The Gabba
Siraj got his first wicket in the 98th over of the innings. Australia skipper Pat Cummins edged one to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The closest he came to taking a wicket in the first session was of Steve Smith. The batter did not offer a shot and was struck on the pad. India opted for DRS but umpire's call saved Smith. On the other hand, Jadeja remained wicketless on Day 2.
Smith, Head torment Indian bowlers
Smith and Head shared a 241-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Both the batters scored their respective centuries. Head scored 152 runs from 160 balls including 18 fours. Smith scored his first century of the year. He scored 101 runs from 190 balls. Both batters fell to Bumrah when India took the second new ball.
