Mohammed Siraj, Travis Head and Steve Smith dominate Day 2’s biggest moments at the Gabba

Travis Head and Steve Smith plundered runs on day two – but India’s Mohammed Siraj was involved in the day’s biggest flashpoints. ROBERT CRADDOCK’s 5 big moments inside.

The clouds cleared at the Gabba, and they were replaced by a deluge of runs for Australian pair Travis Head and Steve Smith.

And, on more than one occasion, some flashpoint moments from Indian paceman Mohammed Siraj.

Here are the biggest moments to emerge from Day Two of the third Test between Australia and India.

SIRAJ’S QUIRKY MIND GAMES

It was a quirky tactic for a quirky batsman and it may have been the trigger for a surprise wicket.

Combustible fast man Mohammed Siraj is very much enjoying the role of pantomime villain on this tour and he drew jeers from the crowd when he charged past Marnus Labuschagne in the 33rd and bizarrely stopped to switch the bails behind him.

Indian villain Mohammed Siraj plays mind games with Marnus Labuschagne

Perhaps mindful that Stuart Broad dismissed Labuschagne in England after the same concentration-challenging ploy, Labuschagne switched them back but faced only five more balls before caught at second slip next over.

COSTLY ‘CELEBRAPPEAL’ MUST FORCE CHANGE

Mohammed Siraj is a fine bowler but a slow learner.

Umpires cannot stand his “celebrappeals’’ where he starts celebrating a wicket as if it is foregone conclusion and either does not turn to the umpire or does so belatedly.

You sense his habit is costing him close calls and it certainly looked that way when umpire Richard Kettleborough declined “celebrappeal’’ for lbw against Steve Smith when the batsman shouldered arms.

The ball would have clipped the outside of off-stump so umpire’s call was the verdict. Plenty of these close calls have been given out in the past.

Mohammed Siraj's costly celebrappeal

TRAVIS HEAD RAMPS IT UP

They had been the showpiece antagonists in Adelaide and again they duelled in Brisbane.

Once more it was Travis Head coming out on top of Mohammed Siraj, no more than when Head was 53 and played a ramp shot to a short ball from the Indian quick.

It raced away for four, emblematic of a day in which India had no answers to the left-hander.

Travis Head's remarkable boundary

INDIAN SKIPPER SHELLS TOUGH CHANCE

Rohit Sharma’s miserable series to date continued when he spilled a tricky chance at first slip off Head after the South Australian gave a leading edge to a Nitish Kumar Reddy delivery on 112.

Rohit failed twice in Adelaide while his decision to insert Australia on Saturday at the Gabba did not reap dividends.

Travis Head drop

SMITH CUTS LOOSE

It hadn’t been Steve Smith’s prettiest innings to reach 50 but once he notched his half-century the shackles were released.

On 51 he pulled Nitish Kumar Reddy for four, ushering an opening of the floodgates as his array of shots were unleashed.

Steve Smith cuts loose with a boundary

Originally published as Mohammed Siraj, Travis Head and Steve Smith dominate Day 2’s biggest moments at the Gabba