Australian captain Pat Cummins defended Travis Head's conduct during a verbal exchange with Mohammed Siraj in the day-night Test against India. Cummins praised Head's match-winning 140, which led Australia to a 10-wicket victory and levelled the five-match series 1-1. He emphasized Head's maturity and the team's consistently excellent behavior, downplaying the on-field incident.
Pat Cummins and Travis Head. (Pic Credit - X)
NEW DELHI: Skipper Pat Cummins deemed it unnecessary to step into the verbal exchange between Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj, stating that the Australian vice-captain is mature enough to handle such situations independently. The captain praised his squad's conduct during the ongoing series with India.
Head's brilliant innings of 140 runs off 141 deliveries in the day-night Test proved decisive, helping Australia secure a commanding 10-wicket victory. This win helped them draw level in the five-match series at 1-1, following their earlier loss at Perth.

Rohit Sharma press conference after loss in Adelaide Test vs Australia


A verbal altercation ensued after Siraj dismissed Head, with the latter maintaining he had merely said 'well bowled' to acknowledge the delivery.
The controversy deepened when Siraj strongly contested Head's version of events, explicitly calling it a 'lie' after Head suggested that the Indian bowler's send-off was unnecessary and that he had simply complimented the delivery.
"Travis Head is vice-captain of the team, so he's a big boy. He can talk for himself," Cummins said during the post-match media interaction.
Siraj denied the Head's claim and said, "I didn't say anything to him. In the press conference, he said the wrong thing. He lied. No way he said 'well-bowled'."
"As a general rule, you normally let the boys be themselves. If you ever need to step in to intervene as captain, I would, but as I said, for our group, I've never really felt like I've needed to do that," Cummins further said while addressing the issue.

This Virat Kohli is like Sachin Tendulkar of 2011-13


Recognising the significance of the high-profile five-match series with packed crowds at stadiums, Cummins remarked: "It's a big series so there's a lot riding on it. The umpire stepped in pretty quickly, and that was the end of it."
"To be honest, they can do whatever they want. I'm more worried about our boys. Like always, I thought our boys' behaviour was excellent this week, like it seems to be every week."
Cummins went on to praise Head's match-turning knock, highlighting his ability to put pressure on the opposition and take control of the game.
"When Trav walked out to the crease yesterday, that was a turning point. Every time he walks out, the game's kind of in the balance, can go one of two ways and within the space of a session or so, he really took the game out of their hands.
"He just puts the pressure right back on the opposition, hits into weird areas. Whenever he feels like there's a small opportunity, he'll up the ante and take the game away from the opposition. So, amazing. He's done it time and again for us in many different formats, he's super impressive."
About the Author
TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA