Josh Hazlewood goes in to bat for former IPL team-mate Mohammed Siraj after his heated spat with Aussie star Travis Head
Mohammed Siraj has received the support of Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood following his on-field feud with Travis Head.
The outing was the big talking point of Australia’s second Test win against India this weekend, with Pat Cummins’ side securing a 10-wicket victory on Sunday to move level with the tourists in the series.
Although an official announcement has yet to be made, Code sports report that Head and Siraj have both been found guilty of breaching the cricket code of conduct following a hearing held before cricket umpire Ranjun Madugalle on Sunday evening.
Head had inspired Australia to victory with a whopping 140 runs off 141 deliveries. Siraj would eventually claim the Aussie Test star’s wicket and find his stumps with a full delivery.
Tempers then flared as the Aussie walked out of his crease, with the batsman, with Siraj Head delivering a powerful send-off, one that Head was seemingly not good at.
Josh Hazlewood has come to the defense of former IPL teammate Mohammed Siraj
It came after Travis Head (centre) and Siraj (right) engaged in a fiery war of words after the Indian pace bowler dismissed the Australian on Sunday
Siraj received some criticism for parting ways with Head, but Hazlewood defended the Indian bowler, saying: ‘He’s just got good character’
In the wake of the incident, commentators from across the cricketing world have weighed in on the issue, with ex-Aussie Test star Michael Clarke particularly criticizing Siraj for making a habit of ‘celebrations’ – celebrating wickets without appealing to the referees. .
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar claimed Siraj became the ‘bad guy’ after giving local hero Head a farewell, while Australian icon Kerry O’Keeffe added: ‘I don’t know if a farewell is valid as a guy [scored] 140…’
Despite this, Hazlewood has defended the India pace bowler after he also received some criticism from fans online.
The pair previously played together with IPL side Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
‘He’s great. I really enjoyed my time at RCB with Siraj,” Hazlewood said. “He’s probably the leader of the attack there to some extent.
“He is another person who looks a bit like Virat [Kohli]very passionate, goes with the flow of the game, gets the crowd excited, all that kind of stuff.
“I’ve definitely had some serious spells in the IPL over the last few years. He just has a good character and sometimes it’s fun to watch.”
Hazlewood, meanwhile, also addressed the divisive comment he made after the first Test in Perth, in which he appeared to hint that divisions were beginning to appear in the Australian dressing room.
Siraj (right) also claimed that Head had not told the truth about what he actually said to him after he was fired
Hazlewood, meanwhile, also opened up about the recent divisive recent comments he made that some cricket commentators believed had created a ‘rift’ in the Aussie camp.
Hazlewood had been asked at the end of day three about Australia’s plans to thwart India’s 522-run lead.
The bowler replied, “You should probably ask one of the batters that question.”
Reflecting on the comment, ex-Australian cricket star Adam Gilchrist concluded there was a potential ‘divisiveness’ in the camp, a comment that several of the team’s stars, including captain Cummins, have dismissed.
Hazlewood has since followed his captain and stated that there was nothing in the comment.
“A little bit surprised,” the 33-year-old said when pressed about the response to his comments.
‘When I left that press conference I didn’t think about it, it was a normal one for me.
‘I think the dead air is obviously there for a while, ten days between games, [it was] something to talk about.
“I think that’s all done now.”
Hazlewood (centre) subsequently dismissed any suggestion there was division in the Aussie camp
The pace bowler (second from right) did not feature in the second Test in Adelaide due to a side strain
Will Hazlewood return for the third Test?
The fast bowler was left out of Australia’s Test squad to play India in Adelaide this week after suffering a side strain in the aftermath of the Perth Test.
Scott Boland was then parachuted into the side, with the Victoria Quick taking five wickets in two innings in South Australia.
On Monday, Hazlewood had taken part in an extended bowling session as he looked to make his case to return to the starting XI.
Cummins had concluded that he was ‘reasonably confident that Hazlewood would be the right choice for Brisbane’ later this week, with Hazlewood adding that the next 24 hours would be crucial to his recovery.
“It’s not necessarily a typical cousin, which I’ve had a few times in my career,” he said.
‘It has caused me a lot of problems in recent years, but perfect preparation this year (towards the first test).
‘I played the Shield game and ticked all that off and I was really happy where I was and it was still happening so I was quite annoyed for a few days.
“If this (Adelaide) was the last test of the summer, I could potentially have thrown down the gauntlet and played.
Scott Boland returned to the Australia Test side in place of Hazlewood and took five wickets during the Test
Cummins said he was ‘lucky’ with the number of top quality bowlers he had at his disposal
“I think I would have been in pretty bad shape at the end of the match, even if it was just a short (match) but it just wasn’t right.”
With Starc posting career-best figures of 6-48 and Boland 51-3 in India’s second innings on Friday, Cummins said he was ‘lucky’ with the ‘tools he had at his disposal’.
“I thought it was a huge effort by Starcy and Scotty,” Cummins said.
“It was hot… humid, and the bowlers kept spinning and bowling all day. A huge effort from those boys, who showed their class.
“I feel very fortunate to be captain with those guys, and then with someone like (Nathan Lyon), who we didn’t even have to call on.
‘It feels [like] I have a lot of tools at my disposal, so I feel very happy.’