Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was met with a chorus of boos from a section of the crowd at The Gabba in Brisbane on Day 1 of the third Test against Australia on Saturday.
As Siraj prepared to bowl the second over of the Australian innings, audible jeers rang out from different corners of the stadium. This reaction stemmed from the ongoing controversy involving Siraj and his confrontation with Travis Head during the second Test in Adelaide.
Big boo for siraj from the crowd#AUSvIND #TheGabba pic.twitter.com/rQp5ekoIak
— ٭𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙎𝙃٭ (@nitiszhhhh) December 14, 2024
The two players had been involved in a heated exchange, which led to both being penalized. Siraj was fined 20 percent of his match fee, while Head received a demerit point as part of the disciplinary sanctions.
With not many probing questions asked, the first 25 minutes before the steady drizzle stopped proceedings for some time saw Australia reach 19 for no loss. While Nathan McSweeney (4 batting, 33 balls) defended dourly, Khawaja did pull Siraj for a boundary before the break and added one more after play resumed.
Also Read: Khawaja shows guts as Australia reach 28 for no loss at lunch
Siraj was removed after a three-over first spell and it was Akash Deep (0/2 in 3.2 overs), who looked good first up, keeping the ball on the off-stump channel with his stock delivery that would dart in to put batters in uncomfortable positions.
But where Australia won the session was how Khawaja dealt with Bumrah. He defended well by dropping his bottom hand and trying to play as late as possible. The balls that went past Khawaja`s outside edge weren`t about being beaten; rather, he kept the bat close to his body, allowing the ball to deviate past the willow. He only played deliveries that were bowled into his body.
He knew that if they can manage Bumrah`s first spell which is generally between six to eight overs, they can dominate other bowlers.
The second rain break came due to a sharper spell of showers, just as Akash and, especially, Siraj in his second spell began pitching the ball further up and started using angles well.
The five-match series is locked in at 1-1.
Teams:
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
