"Hey Siraj, don't you have brains?"- Former Indian captain lashes out at pacer for Travis Head send-off in 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth slammed pacer Mohammed Siraj for his fiery send-off to Aussie batter Travis Head in the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide. Head smashed India for a breathtaking 140 off 141 deliveries in the first innings to help Australia capture a 157-run lead.
Yet, after finally cleaning the batter up with a yorker, Siraj gave him a mouthful, much to the disgust of several experts and fans.
Speaking on his YouTube channel 'Cheeky Cheeka' after the Adelaide Test, Srikkanth said about Siraj's altercation with Head: (via India Today)
"He has smashed the bowling mercilessly. Hey Siraj, don't you have brains? What are you doing? Have you gone mad? He smashed you left, right and centre. He hit boundaries and sixes effortlessly in his knock of 140. You're giving him a send-off after that. Is this called Sledging? What rubbish is this? It's just madness."
Head's innings, including 17 boundaries and four maximums, was ultimately the difference-maker, as Australia completed a 10-wicket victory to level the series at 1-1.
Meanwhile, Siraj held his own with the ball despite Head's onslaught, finishing with figures of 4/98 in the first innings.
"He didn't treat Ashwin as a spinner, he is dancing down the track and smashing him" - Kris Srikkanth on Travis Head
Kris Srikkanth praised Travis Head for leaving the Indian bowlers clueless in the Adelaide Test. The 30-year-old has been a nemesis for the Indian side over the past two years, denying them the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup titles with centuries in the final.
"One batter has scored 140. Give him credit, and applaud his knock. Instead of saying 'brilliant knock', you're giving him a send-off? As if, you got him out on 10 or 0, as if you planned it and got his wicket! He smashed you all over. The Indian bowlers had no answers to Head's onslaught. 140 off 141 balls. Look at that. He hit sixes at will. He didn't treat Ashwin as a spinner, he is dancing down the track and smashing him," said Srikkanth in the same video.
The Adelaide ton was his eighth in Tests and third overall in international cricket against India, including ODIs. The southpaw is the leading run-scorer in the series after two Tests with 240 runs at an average of 80.
Their battle will resume when the action shifts to Brisbane for the all-important third Test, starting December 14.