'Siraj will regret it': India pacer 'shamed' for 'needless' Travis Head gesture as ICC punishment looms

The way Mohammed Siraj's 'send-off' to Travis Head escalated into what many call the 'Lie'-gate incident became a red-hot talking point from the 2nd Test between India and Australia. On Day 2 of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, Siraj dismissed Head after the Australia batter had bludgeoned 140 and gave him a loud send-off. The gesture was understandably not well received by Head, who hurled back a mouthful to the India pacer. When Head clarified that all he said was 'well bowled', Siraj hit back, calling him a liar. India's Mohammed Siraj (left) interacts with Australia's Travis Head(AP)

The episode ended for good, with Siraj and Head burying the hatchet with a post-match handshake and hug. However, the ICC is not in the mood to relent. While no official sanctions have been made yet, world cricket's parent body is all set to punish the two. Weighing in on the entire saga, former Australia cricketer Simon Katich called Siraj's act unnecessary, terming it a 'brainfade'. Katich stirred the pot even further, claiming that, looking back at it, Siraj would regret his actions and that the India pacer should know to control his emotions better.

"It wasn't a great look. It's a shame that Siraj had a bit of a brain fade… there's no need for that in the game. He would regret that Siraj… it was all spur of the moment and when he got Mitchell Starc out not long after that he was pretty sheepish. It all happens in a split second and it's hard to control emotions sometimes when you're upset with what's just unfolded," Katich said on SEN Radio.

'Travis Head's innings didn't deserve that finish'

Head continued his love affair with India, slamming centuries against them in red-ball, white-ball and pink-ball formats. His 140 off 141 balls was instrumental in handing Australia a 151-run lead over India, which in the end, proved to be enough. Like Siraj, Head's reaction was volatile, too, but it came because of retaliation rather than landing the first blow. Katich reckons Head's knock should have brought a compliment out of Siraj and the Indian team rather than vice-versa.

"His innings didn't deserve to finish that way. I think Travis Head reacted to the gesture and you can’t blame him for that, he was pretty upset with what was being directed his way. As soon as Travis Head got out, he basically played a match-winning knock, it should've been the opposite," added Katich.

Lastly, Katich hopes the Siraj-Head incident sets the tone for the remainder of the series. Over the years, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has dished out its fair share of spice, but the two teams have lately started to share more friendly vibes. However, with so much on the line and the series levelled at 1-1, expect more fireworks across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

"He should've gone over to him and pat him on the back and said ‘well played’. Hopefully, it doesn't ignite the series but I dare say given the history of India v Australia in recent times… it's going to get heated in the next few tests because the series is on the line," mentioned Katich.

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