Former Australian batter Simon Katich criticized Mohammed Siraj’s field placement as the hosts dominated the visitors on the second day of the third Test match at the Gabba, Brisbane on Sunday. Siraj had a fly slip for Travis Head but bowled a bumper in the next over when he decided to removed that fielder.
Head, who was aware of the field change, played a controlled uppercut to get a boundary. On the next ball, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Siraj decided to push Yashasvi Jaiswal to fine third-man position but the horse had already bolted.
Katich said on Channel 7 commentary, “That is unbelievable from Mohammed Siraj, because the over before they had a man right in that spot (third-man) and he has run in and bowled what they were planning without the fielder there. That is dumb. Dumb cricket!”
“They got two men out in the leg side, they got a deep point and they had a man right in that spot for this very plan to Travis Head and then he doesn’t have the fielder (now) and now he’s going to put the fielder back down there right now.”
Head once again proved to be a headache for the Indian bowlers, smashing 152 runs off just 160 balls to put Australia in the driver’s seat. The southpaw added 241 runs with Steve Smith, who also got back into form to score a brilliant knock of 101 runs.
This was Head’s ninth Test century and his third against India as he continued his liking against the Indian bowlers.
On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj had to toil hard and he got the wicket of Australian captain Pat Cummins towards the fag end of the day. But Head and Smith’s century has put Australia in command as the hosts ended the day at 405-7.
