Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj was met with intense boos from the Brisbane crowd as he prepared to bowl in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The crowd’s reaction came immediately as Siraj ran in to bowl, and the jeers continued throughout his over. This hostility from the Australian fans is a continuation of the tension that began in the previous Test in Adelaide, where Siraj and local hero Travis Head had a heated exchange.
Controversial Incident With Travis Head In Adelaide
The roots of the crowd’s animosity towards Siraj can be traced back to the second Test when he had a heated exchange with Australian batter Travis Head. After dismissing Head for a crucial 140, Siraj gave an animated send-off that seemed to anger the local crowd. The incident was sparked by Siraj’s frustration after Head hit him for several boundaries earlier in the over.
Different Versions Of The Incident
Siraj and Head had both presented contrasting versions of the same incident. He claimed to have told Siraj, “well bowled” after his dismissal. But Siraj refused it strongly by terming it a lie. The ICC had also stepped into this issue and imposed fines on the players for the misconduct. The ICC had penalized Siraj by fine amounting to 20% of the match fee while one demerit point had been given to Head.
Boos From The Brisbane Crowd Intensify
It was more of the same: the tension between the two had been boiling through and would eventually spill into reaction when the Gabba crowd was letting its displeasure known over Siraj’s first over in the third Test as he ran in with the new ball to a bellowing boo in the stands against Usman Khawaja.
Despite the jeers from the crowd, India still chose to bowl first after winning the third consecutive toss in the series. Jasprit Bumrah began well with the first over, but Siraj’s over was the one that gathered most of the attention as he received constant booing from Australian crowd.
