Watch: Travis Head shows sportsmanship after Mohammed Siraj’s gruesome helmet blow at SCG

Australia's middle-order batter Travis Head showed concern for Mohammed Siraj after the Indian bowler was struck on the helmet by a fierce bouncer. Mohammed Siraj endured a nasty blow on his helmet in the final session of the opening day during the fifth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

India won the toss and decided to bat first in the fifth Test in Sydney. Jasprit Bumrah took over the captaincy, as regular skipper Rohit Sharma opted out due to his recent poor form with the bat. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit in the playing XI, while Prasidh Krishna came in for the injured Akash Deep.

India Off to a Poor Start After Opting to Bat First in Fifth Test

The Jasprit Bumrah-led team started their first innings poorly on Friday, January 3. They lost their top four batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), KL Rahul (4), Shubman Gill (20), and Virat Kohli (17) for low scores. Rishabh Pant fought hard for his 40 off 98 balls, but India were struggling at 120/5, following his wicket.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a century at the MCG, was dismissed for a golden duck, while Ravindra Jadeja perished after scoring 26. India was at 148/8 after 66 overs, but Prasidh Krishna and Bumrah added 20 runs for the ninth wicket. Krishna was dismissed off Mitchell Starc's bowling after scoring 3 runs.

Watch: Travis Head Checks Up on Mohammed Siraj After Latter Gets Hit on Helmet

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On the first ball of the 70th over, Scott Boland bowled a bouncer to Mohammed Siraj. The ball hit the Indian lower-order batter, who was trying to heave it, on the glove and then on the helmet. Siraj was visibly shaken and flexing his jaw after the impact from Boland's bouncer, which was clocked at 134.8 kph.

Travis Head, positioned at forward short leg, immediately checked on Siraj and called for physio. The physio rushed out for a concussion check, and Siraj took a brief breather. The Australian team gathered in a huddle, and the Indian batter appeared to be fine afterward. Head's gesture attracted attention from fans on social media as he had a spat with Siraj earlier in the seires.

Earlier, Beau Webster received his baggy green from Mark Waugh. Three players in Australia's top seven—Nathan McSweeny, Sam Konstas, and Beau Webster—made their debut in this series. The last time Australia had this many debutants in a series was in 2018 against Pakistan in the UAE.

"We were looking to bat as well. But it is overcast and hopefully we will swing the ball early. Sell out in the first few days. Just kept replaying in our heads the last session. Feels like every summer gets bigger and bigger here in Australia. This week is always special. Just one change. Beau Webster is debuting in place of Mitchell Marsh," Australia captain Pat Cummins said after the toss.

Also read: Watch: "This is bull****" - Steve Smith sledges Shubman Gill to throw wicket away in Sydney Test