Siraj bowled Head with a full delivery the ball after he’d been whipped over the leg side for six, and gestured towards the dressing room, with Head then spinning around and reacting, which he admitted he was disappointed in himself for doing.
“I actually jokingly said ‘well bowled’, then he pointed me in the sheds and I had my reaction as well,” Head said. “I don’t want to give it too much airtime. I feel like the way I play the game I would like a better reaction. I was surprised at the reaction in terms of the situation of the game and the lead up. There was no confrontation leading up to it.
“It probably [went] a little bit far, that’s why I’m disappointed in the reaction I gave back but I’m also going to stand up for myself. Like to think in our team we wouldn’t do that. [It’s] not the way I’d like to play the game and feel like my team-mates are the same. If I see that, I probably call it out, which I did.”
Head revealed there had already been a previous incident during the series, likely referring to his dismissal for 89 in the second innings in Perth as India closed in on a big victory.
“There’s been conversations I’ve had,” he said. “I’ll leave those conversations that I’ve had with individuals around that. Can’t speak much for India, like I said I’m going to call it out in certain situations. Feel like you can play hard and play fair. When you are out you can’t do much about it. I’m disappointed with the reaction I had after that, but certainly going to stand up for myself.”
However, despite the heated exchange with Siraj, Head believes the relationship between the teams remains on good terms.
“I think the relationship is really, really good,” he said. “Think that’s why I’m disappointed with a couple of reactions I’ve got when being dismissed. Feel like the game’s moved on. The way I play the game is, I’m here to have a good time, want to enjoy myself, want to play hard and play fair. I have a joke with the fielders, always interacting, and it’s been on very simple terms and enjoyable. I know they are competing hard, but I can have a laugh at the same time.
“Then to get the reaction I did off the back of that, I’d almost have it the other way, rather they try to tear shreds off me then give it to me. But feel like the lead-up is out of nowhere. Both teams respect each other, I hope. Our dressing room definitely has a lot of respect for the opposition and the blokes in that dressing are very high quality.”
India bowling coach Morne Morkel defended the passion that Siraj plays the game with. Following the dismissal of Head he was loudly booed by the Adelaide Oval crowd each time he bowled or touched the ball until the tea interval. He ended up going through the lower order to finish with 4 for 98.
“Siraj is the type of player that gives 100% when ball in hand,” Morkel said. “I think that is the character that he brings to the bowling unit. He will always run in all day, no matter what the scoreboard says. I think in a big series like that you are always going to have moments like this where it is a sort of, I wouldn’t say make or break sort of situation, but when a session or the game is potentially sort of on the line, you will have moments like that and they are two cricketers that play the game hard, they play the game tough but I am pretty sure after the game they will be your best of mates.”
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
