Ravi Shastri Encourages Siraj’s Fiery Approach in India-Australia Clash.
As the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia draws near, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has weighed in on the approach he believes Mohammed Siraj should adopt against the hosts.
In a column published in the Australian publication The Code, Shastri has emphatically backed Siraj to continue his aggressive play, stating that the fast bowler should not hold back “even one bit” against the Australians.
Shastri, who led India to two historic series victories in Australia during his tenure as head coach, emphasized that his philosophy was to “give it back as good as you get” to the opposition.
This approach, he said, became the team’s guiding principle, with every player, from Virat Kohli to Rishabh Pant, ready to take the fight to the Aussies.
The former cricketer-turned-coach’s remarks come in the wake of the heated exchange between Mohammed Siraj and Australian batter Travis Head during the second Test of the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. Siraj, who was booed by the crowd for his animated reactions, found himself at the center of a verbal altercation with Head after dismissing the latter.
While the International Cricket Council (ICC) has since sanctioned both players for the on-field spat, Shastri believes that Siraj’s fiery attitude is exactly what the team needs.
“I’m sure Siraj and Head are mature individuals who will deal with it and the dust would have settled already,” Shastri wrote. “If anything, I wouldn’t have expected anything else from a fast bowler after he’d been hit for a six. Siraj was letting off some steam. That’s the fast bowler’s temperament. You want it to be like that.”
Shastri’s endorsement of Siraj’s aggressive approach is a clear message to the young pacer: continue to play with passion and intensity, and do not back down an inch against the Australian juggernaut.
