Josh Hazlewood praises Mohammed Siraj as captain of the bowling attack amidst controversy with Travis Head: 'Reminiscent of Virat'

The thrilling encounter between Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head during Australia's dominant 10-wicket victory over India in Adelaide injected an extra dose of excitement into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. This intense confrontation between the two players added a spicy element to the proceedings and showcased the fierce competitiveness that characterizes matches between these two cricketing giants.

The incident between Siraj and Head got plenty of airtime, as the fast bowler bowled Head with a great yorker but gave him an over-enthusiastic send-off, which led to friction between the two and an exchange of heated words. While Siraj has received some flak for his behaviour in the match in general, one member of the Australian team nonetheless came to his defence and stated he was just caught up in the heat of the moment.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Gabba Test match, Josh Hazlewood spoke about Siraj’s passionate character, having shared a dressing room with him in the IPL. “He’s great. I really enjoyed my time at RCB with Siraj. He’s probably the leader of the attack there to a degree,” Hazlewood said to the press.

Hazlewood also pointed out that Siraj is a player just like Virat Kohli, in terms of wearing his heart on his sleeve and being a loud character on the field. “He’s another one who’s a bit like Virat, very passionate, goes with the flow of the game, gets the crowd up, all that sort of stuff.”

Nevertheless, Hazlewood mentioned he doesn’t have a problem with it, and how Siraj’s quality with ball in hand speaks for itself. “Bowls some serious spells in the IPL in the last few years for sure. He’s just a good character and it’s good to see sometimes,” concluded Hazlewood.

Siraj and Head were spotted exchanging words in a more friendly manner when Siraj came out to bat on day three, with the Australian century-maker fielding at short leg. Fans will hope the fire remains on the field, while being relieved that it doesn’t turn into anything uglier.

Pacer Hazlewood missed out on the Adelaide Test due to a minor injury, being replaced by Scott Boland who performed admirably as a substitute option. However, Hazlewood is likely to be back for the Brisbane Test, which will be good news for Australia and slightly concerning for India as they look to bounce back from a difficult loss.