NEW DELHI: As India lost the Boxing Day Test against Australia by 184 runs at the at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, one of the turning points of the match was the dismissal of Rishabh Pant by Travis Head.
Mitchell Marsh took a fine catch wide of long-on to dismiss Pant off Head but what followed after that was a unique but absurd celebration by the Aussie all-rounder.
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That celebration ruffled quite a few Indian feathers but during the post-match press conference, Australia captain Pat Cummins explained the reason behind it when asked by a reporter to clear up what the celebration was about.
Cummins said, “It’s his fingers so hot, he’s got to put it in a cup of ice. Yeah that’s what it is. So that’s normally the running joke. But it was at the Gabba or somewhere he got a wicket as well. And just goes straight to the fridge, grabs a bucket of ice, puts his finger in and just walks in front of Lyno (Nathan Lyon). Just like that. Think it’s very funny. So that’s what it would have been, nothing else.”
But former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed Head’s behaviour calling it an insult to 1.5 billion Indians.
Sidhu posted on X: “Travis head’s obnoxious behaviour during the course of the Melbourne test doesn’t auger well for for the gentleman’s game…… sets the worst possible example when there are kids, women , young & old watching the game……. this caustic conduct did not insult an individual but a nation of 1.5 billion Indians……stringent punishment that would serve a deterrent for the future generations needs to be slapped on him so that no one dares follow suit !!!”
India now need to win the last Test of the series, in Sydney, to draw level and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
