“Do not take even one backward step” - Ravi Shastri defends Mohammed Siraj in Travis Head row during BGT 2024-25 2nd Test

Ravi Shastri, former coach of the Indian cricket team, has advised Rohit Sharma and his troops to give it back to Australia after the steamy row involving pacer Mohammed Siraj and batter Travis Head. The altercation unfolded during the pink ball Test in Adelaide.

Siraj and Head were involved in a heated exchange that sparked debate and controversy during the Adelaide Test. With a lot of chatter going on, Shastri believes both players would have moved on already.

In a column for CODE Sports, Ravi Shastri wrote (via The Indian Express):

“I’m sure Siraj and Head are mature individuals who will deal with it and the dust would have settled already.”

Siraj had given Head a fiery send-off after dismissing him, punching his fist in the air, and it appeared the pacer was all heated up. While the send-off was not well received by the crowd at the Adelaide Oval, Shastri has defended Siraj and backed him, justifying his actions on the field.

“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 added.

The former coach added that India should not hold back 'one bit' and give it back to the opposition.

“When I was playing, my philosophy was to give it back as good as you get. And it’s exactly what I would tell my players when I was coaching India in Australia. Do not hold back one bit," he added.

Reflecting on his tenure as the coach, Shastri wrote his advice of asking the players not to hold back became the mindset of the entire team.

“Do not take even one backward step. It then became the team’s philosophy and everyone from Virat Kohli to Rishabh Pant and every member of the squad was prepared to give it back to the Aussies," he concluded.

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Ravi Shastri asks for a change in approach at the Gabba

With the defeat in Adelaide, the series is now leveled 1-1. Heading into the Gabba Test, India will be keen to bounce back. Ravi Shastri expects to see a different approach from the Indian team.

“What I’d like to see in Brisbane is for the captain to return to the top of the order. Opening the batting is where Rohit belongs,” he wrote in the same column.

Ravi Shastri added that Rohit batting in the middle did not work and India must bring him back at the top right away while pushing KL Rahul back lower down the order.

“You need Rohit setting the tempo at the top. That’s his best position," he concluded.