Mohammed Siraj has received support from former India coach Ravi Shastri amidst the backlash he has received for his altercation with Travis Head in the BGT 2024-25 Test in Adelaide between India and Australia.
Ravi Shastri urged Mohammed Siraj to maintain his combative attitude in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, saying that Siraj should not hold back in any way.
Siraj and Head had a violent dispute during the pink ball Test match after the bowler knocked him out on Day 2. Both players engaged in a verbal war, making jabs at each other both on and off the field.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sanctioned Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head for their on-field spat during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s second Test in Adelaide.
Siraj was penalized 20% of his match fee. While Head avoided a punishment, he was disciplined for his verbal exchange with the Indian fast bowler. Both Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head were handed one demerit point for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
Do not hold back one bit: Ravi Shastri wants India to fight fire with fire
The fiery former coach, who led two tours to Australia, stated that throughout his time, the goal was to give it back to the Australians, and not a single Indian player took a step back throughout the series.
Siraj was booed by the fans during the Adelaide Test after expressing his displeasure with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head.
“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 concluded.
The third Test begins in Brisbane from December 14 onwards.
Also Read: Mohammad Siraj And Travis Head Penalized For On-field Altercation In 2nd Adelaide Test