Ponting on Siraj-Head altercation: No malice, it was accidental

Dubai, Dec 11 (PTI) Ricky Ponting believes there wasn’t “any malice meant at the start” in the on-field altercation between India's Mohammed Siraj and Australia's Travis Head, terming the exchange on the second day of the day-night Adelaide Test as “accidental”.

In the 82nd over, after being hit for a six over deep square leg by the left-handed Australian batter, Siraj had cleaned up Head and signalled him towards the dressing room.

India pacer Siraj was fined 20 per cent of his match fee and Head was reprimanded as both the players were also handed one demerit point each by the ICC.

"Looking back at it now, I think it was accidental the way that whole thing played out. I don’t think there was any malice meant at the start,” Ponting told the ICC Review.

He added, “Then the way it started and almost like the misinterpretation of what had actually gone on, I think led to how it ended.” Head claimed telling Siraj “well bowled” after being dismissed in media conference after stumps on day two, but Siraj denied the assertion before play resumed on the third day.

"I know Travis has gone and said that he said ‘well bowled’ at the start. Siraj obviously wasn’t happy about being hit over the deep backward square for six the ball before,” Ponting said.

The former Australia captain related Siraj’s reaction on dismissing Head to situations wherein bowlers get under pressure.

“Rohit (Sharma) I’m sure would expect these fast bowlers to react like that. When they’re under the pressure and they’re getting hit and then they’ve just got a wicket you’d expect that they’d be up and about,” he said.

Ponting reckoned the incident “wasn't that big a deal”, and added that umpires are strict towards bowlers who give batters such send-offs.

“Look, it wasn’t that big a deal. I was in comms (commentary box) at the time. As soon as I saw the send-off, I actually got worried for Siraj,” he said.

“I know how the umpires react to those things. Umpires and referees don’t like seeing the send-off, pointed in the direction of the dressing room.” Ponting, however, refused to read much into the incident saying both Siraj and Head were able to clear the air later on in the Test.

“Both players have now had their say on what they thought happened. It was great to see them actually chatting,” he said.

“When Siraj came out to bat and Travis was at short leg, they were actually clarifying what had happened out there. They were talking amongst themselves as to what had actually happened,” Ponting added.

The five-Test series is currently tied 1-1 after India lost the second Test by 10 wickets, having won the series opener at Perth by 295 runs. The third Test begins on Saturday at Brisbane. PTI