Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head to be charged over Adelaide Oval clash

Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj embraced at the end of the second Test, but are still set to feel the wrath of cricket officials after their Adelaide Oval clash. Have your say.

Adelaide Oval combatants Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head will be charged by the ICC as Australia sought to take the moral high ground over the pair’s feisty second Test exchange.

As revealed by this masthead, match officials were on Sunday night waiting for paperwork to be cleared before confirming that both players would face a disciplinary hearing over their Saturday stoush.

Siraj attempted to smoke the peace pipe with Head after earlier labelling the Australian hero a liar in Adelaide as the tourists slumped to a 10-wicket defeat inside seven sessions which left the series tied at 1-1.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma conceded that there was a fine line to be tread by players but broadly backed the passion of his firebrand quick.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins said his side’s behaviour had been exemplary and would leave judgments about the Indians’ conduct to others.

Siraj and Head shared a handshake and brief embrace after play and although there didn’t appear to be a huge amount of warmth in the interaction, moves have been made by the Indian firebrand to bury the hatchet.

Head and Siraj make up post-game

Neither player is likely to be suspended for their respective involvements given neither have any demerit points under the ICC’s code of conduct and audible obscenities and send-offs are both lower level offences that trigger either a reprimand or fine.

It sets the scene for an explosive showdown at the Gabba in the third Test after Siraj lit the fuse by slamming Head for his interpretation of their day two war of words.

“And when I got him bowled, I only celebrated and he abused me and you saw that on TV too,” Siraj told Indian broadcaster, Star Sports in an interview in Hindi that was translated to English.

“I only celebrated at the start, I didn’t say anything to him.

“What he said in the press conference wasn’t right, it’s a lie that he only said ‘well bowled’ to me.

“It’s there for everyone to see that that’s not what he said to me. We respect everyone, it’s not like we disrespect other players.

“I respect everybody because cricket is a gentleman’s game, but what he did wasn’t right. I didn’t like it at all.”

Television replays did appear to show Head swearing at or about Siraj as he walked away from the middle, although nothing was captured on stump microphones.

“He likes to get into the battle, as simple as that,” Rohit said.

Travis Head talks with Mohammed Siraj in the middle of Adelaide Oval. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

“It gives him success, and as a captain it’s my job to back that aggression. Obviously there’s a fine line between that, we don’t want to cross anything that can bring disrepute into the game. But obviously having a word or two with the opposition is not a bad thing and he likes it, and that’s what gets him going.

“Obviously as a captain it is also my responsibility to make sure that we don’t cross the line, but a word or two here and there I don’t think makes a huge difference.”

Clearly reluctant to get into the finer points of the issue, Cummins backed the approach of his men.

“It’s heated, it’s a big series,” Cummins said.

“There’s a lot riding on it. I think the umpire stepped in pretty quickly and that was the end of it.

“To be honest, they can do whatever they want. We’re more worried about our boys and like always I thought our boys’ behaviour was excellent this week like it seems to be every week.”

Head never denied shooting his mouth to Siraj and has owned the incident, admitting his regret at snapping at the Indian quick.

“I actually jokingly said ‘well bowled’, then he pointed me in the sheds and I had my reaction as well,” Head said after play on day two.

“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.

Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj walks off with Shubman Gill and Harshit Rana at the end of Day 3. Picture: William West/AFP.

“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 teammates are the same.

“If I see that, I probably call it out, which I did.”

The pair had an animated conversation on-field on day three when Siraj came out to bat while Head was fielding at short leg, with Head eventually taking the catch which dismissed him for seven.

But Head indicated post-match in an interview with the ABC that he was not going to turn his run-in with Siraj into an ongoing slanging match.

“He’s come out then and said it was a little bit of a misunderstanding … I think we’ll move on, we’ve had a great week, so let’s not ruin it … I’m sweet, and I think he’s the same, and we move on,” Head told the ABC.