The fiery rivalry between the Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj and the Australian cricket team continues to brew as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 heats up after the hosts crushed the tourists by ten wickets in the Adelaide Test to level the ongoing five-match Test series 1-1.
After a heated exchange between Siraj and Travis Head during the Adelaide Test, tensions reached a boiling point. The dismissal sparked a heated verbal clash, as Mohammed Siraj returned Head the taste of his own medicine after removing the Australian batter for a stunning 140 in the Day-Night Test match.
Siraj vs Australia rivalry heats up in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
The fiery exchange led the on-field umpires to step in to defuse the situation at the Adelaide Oval. But the drama didn’t end there, as the Australian pacers Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc unleashed a barrage of bouncers on Siraj when he came to bat on Day 3 in Adelaide, where the Indian pacer had to face a lot of boos from the Australian crowd.
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Reacting to the whole saga, the legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has boldly backed Mohammed Siraj to hit back where it hurts in the ongoing Test series. The former Indian captain believes that Siraj should repay the Australians with a storm of short-pitched deliveries aimed at their batters in Brisbane.
Sunil Gavaskar dismissed the criticism by saying that targeting tail-enders with short balls is an age-old tactic. Now, the legendary batter is expecting Siraj to embrace the challenge and take the revenge in the third Test at The Gabba.
Sunil Gavaskar urges Mohammed Siraj to turn up the heat on Australia
With the Australian crowd unlikely to let Siraj off the hook, Sunil Gavaskar admitted that the Indian pacer will face a hostile atmosphere in the remaining three Test matches of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, he doesn’t think Mohammed Siraj will be bothered by the boos or bouncers in the remaining Test matches.
Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today: “Siraj is a number 10 batter. No big deal. If somebody is bowling a bouncer, he is going to struggle. So, you can’t really fault him for that. Whatever happened, clearly, I think the Australians are charged up. They were looking to get back at Siraj, but I don’t think he is going to be bothered by that. When he has the ball in his hand in Gabba, he is going to give it back to them doubly in kind.”
Siraj is going to be the villain for the whole of Australia: Sunil Gavaskar
The commentator also predicted that Mohammed Siraj is now the prime target for the Aussies. With the fiery pacer already at the center of on-field clashes, Gavaskar believes the Australian side and their fans will treat Siraj as the villain during the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
However, the former Indian captain emphasized the importance of team support, saying Siraj, in this situation, will need the full backing of his teammates to stay focused and deliver his best in the intense Test series against Australia.
Gavaskar signed off by saying, “I think for the Australian side, Siraj is going to be the villain, and he will have to face up to it. It will be important for the rest of the team to come to his side and tell him, ‘Listen. You go out and do your best.”