'He's like Virat Kohli': Josh Hazlewood ditches Travis Head, defends Mohammed Siraj after Adelaide incident

The second Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 might have ended inside three days at the Adelaide Oval, but Mohammed Siraj continued to rule the headlines following his fiery on-field spat with the Australian batter Travis Head on Day 2 of the Pink-ball Test.

The heated moment unfolded on Day 2 of the Day-Night Test when Siraj delivered a stunning yorker to dismiss Travis Head following a stunning 140-run knock in Adelaide. The dismissal led to a fiery exchange between Siraj and Head, raising eyebrows about the intensity of the feud.

Josh Hazlewood hails Mohammed Siraj’s competitive spirit amidst controversial incident in Adelaide Test

Reports suggested that both players might be handed fines by the ICC for the fiery altercation on the field, but Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who played alongside Siraj for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, came out in support of his former teammate against Head.

Read Also: Mohammed Siraj's revenge plot vs Travis Head and Australia crowd surface before 3rd Test

Josh Hazlewood compared Mohammed Siraj’s fiery demeanor on the field to that of Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli as he was sharing his thoughts on the controversial drama that unfolded at the Adelaide Oval.

The Australian pacer, who missed the second Test, hailed Mohammed Siraj's passion, commitment, and impressive performances over recent years, saying that his fiery attitude is a reflection of his drive to succeed.

He's another one who's a bit like Virat Kohli: Josh Hazlewood on Siraj

While the Australian cricket fraternity slammed Siraj for his antics in the pink-ball Test, Josh Hazlewood dismissed the criticism of the Indian pacer’s behavior by saying that it is good to see a little fire in Test cricket. He feels Siraj’s fiery exchange with Head showcased his competitive spirit.

Josh Hazlewood was quoted as saying by Perth Now, “I really enjoyed my time at RCB with him. He's probably the leader of the attack there, to a degree. He's another one who's a bit like Virat (Kohli), very passionate, goes with the flow of the game, and gets the crowd up. (He has) bowled serious spells in the IPL in the last few years. He's just a good character, and it's good to see sometimes.”

Read Also: Pat Cummins silences Indian reporter over question on Travis Head's lie exposed by Mohammed Siraj

I definitely swore at him: Travis Head

Meanwhile, Indian fans are well aware of Australia’s history with sledging, thus they quickly supported Siraj and it grew stronger after the star pacer, in a chat with Harbhajan Singh, accused Travis Head of lying about the incident.

The situation took another twist when Head admitted that he had indeed used foul language towards Siraj, proving the Indian pacer right. Despite the heated exchange and rising tensions, the two players put their differences aside after the game, sharing a hug and moving on from the incident.

Travis Head was quoted as saying by abc.net.au: “He came out and just said [it was] a little bit of misunderstanding ... I think we'll move on. We've had a great week, so let's not ruin it. It was fine. He said, 'Why'd you swear?' I sort of said, 'Look, I didn't at first... [but] I definitely swore at you the second time round.'.”