Mohammed Siraj‘s act left Ravindra Jadeja absolutely fuming and it even earned him a mouthful from the Indian cricket team all-rounder during Day 2 of the third Test encounter against Australia in Brisbane on Sunday. During the second session of the day, Head pushed the ball towards the offside and went for a quick single. Siraj was quick to collect the ball but his throw was too reckless as it went over the batter and Jadeja seemed to be in a bit of bother after collecting it. The all-rounder was not happy with Siraj ‘s aggression and he ended up hurling a mouthful while shaking his head in pain.
“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’,” former England cricketer Mark Nicholas said on air.
With clear weather at the Gabba, Travis Head and Steve Smith smashed contrasting centuries to help Australia dominate proceedings against a listless India as the hosts’ reached 405/7 in 101 overs at stumps on day two of the third Test on Sunday.
The duo also shared a stand of 241 runs off 303 balls for the fourth wicket, after joining forces at 75/3. Along with Alex Carey‘s unbeaten 45, Head and Smith ensured Australia had a day to remember by being in the drivers’ seat of the match.
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While Smith made 101, including hitting 12 boundaries, to hit a hundred for the first time since the second Ashes Test in June last year, Head smashed 152, laced with 18 boundaries, to make it back-to-back tons in Tests against India.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah toiled hard to pick his 12th five-wicket haul and be the standout performer with 5-72 in 25 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mohammed Siraj picked a wicket each, while Akash Deep, despite troubling Smith and Head initially, didn’t get a scalp.
But overall, it was a day to forget for India who were taken to cleaners easily, with no plan to counter the threat from Head, the lack of bowling depth and absence of proactive field settings coming under the scanner yet again.
(With IANS inputs)
