India legend Sunil Gavaskar has criticized Australian cricket experts and fans for targeting pacer Mohammed Siraj ahead of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test in Brisbane on Saturday, December 14.
Siraj made headlines in the Adelaide Test after a heated exchange with Travis Head, who scored a brilliant 140. He later dismissed Head with a superb yorker, giving him a fiery send-off that angered the crowd, leading to boos for the rest of the match.
While several experts condemned Siraj’s actions, Gavaskar defended him in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald, accusing Australians of hypocrisy.
“Siraj is getting the stick from all the “saints” in Australian cricket who, of course, were known for their impeccable behaviour on the field. But the same people will cheer if an Aussie quick gives a similar send-off to an English batter during next summer’s Ashes.”
“There were some suggestions in the media that the Australians should get back to being the mongrels they once were. So, do mongrels simply purr, or do they bark, too?,” Gavaskar wrote.
Siraj and Head were penalized for violating the ICC Code of Conduct after the Adelaide Test. Siraj was fined 20% of his match fee, and both players received one demerit point on their disciplinary records. Australia won the match by 10 wickets, leveling the series 1-1.
“Siraj’s reaction was unexpected”- Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar described Mohammed Siraj’s confrontation with Travis Head during the Adelaide Test as “surprising,” given the diminished hostility between players in the modern era, largely influenced by the IPL.
While India and Australia have a history of fierce on-field rivalries, the intensity has notably waned in recent encounters.
“Siraj’s outburst was surprising because if the Indian Premier League has done one thing, apart from making Aussie cricketers and coaches millionaires, it has also taken away to a huge extent the animosity that previously existed in the game,” Gavaskar wrote in the same column.
Gavaskar praised both teams for maintaining a competitive yet calm demeanor throughout the ongoing series.
“As we have seen in the two Test matches so far, the intensity and fierce pride of playing for one’s country has not diminished, but uncouth and ugly behavior has been almost eradicated. Now it’s mainly the bat and the ball that do the talking, and that’s how it should be,” Gavaskar concluded.
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