Australia vs India quick hits: Pat Cummins offers timely reminder of his class as Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head silence critics

Pat Cummins offered a timely reminder of his class with the ball and his teammates wasted no time clapping back at criticism, while Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj settled a mini feud.

Here are the quick hits from day three of the second Test in Adelaide where Australia sealed a comprehensive victory.

1. Siraj accuses Head of lying after fiery encounter

One of the talking points from day two was Mohammed Siraj’s fiery send-off for Australia’s centurion Travis Head, who returned serve himself before walking off.

Head claimed he’d told Siraj “well bowled” after being dismissed for 140, but the Indian paceman accused him of lying about the whole thing, claiming Head had abused him first.

“I was enjoying bowling to him. It was a good battle because he was batting really well. When a batter hits you for a six on a good ball, it feels bad. That gave me energy,” he said in an interview with Star Sports prior to the start of play on day three.

“After bowling him out, I celebrated. Then he abused me. You can see it on TV as well. In the start, it was my celebration, I didn’t say anything to him.

“In the press conference, he said the wrong thing. He lied. No way he said ‘well bowled’. We respect everyone. I always respect everyone because cricket is a gentleman’s game. Travis Head’s actions were wrong. I did not feel good”.

Siraj was booed as he came out to bat early on day three and immediately found himself at close quarters with Head, who was fielding up close in a helmet.

The pair immediately had a somewhat lengthy chat in between deliveries from Pat Cummins, but Head had the last laugh, taking the catch to dismiss Siraj off Scott Boland’s bowling.

There were cordial scenes after the match though as the pair shared a handshake and a little hug.

2. Bumrah reviews a not out call

In the midst of the bouncer barrage aimed at the Indian tail, Jasprit Bumrah was collected on the helmet by Pat Cummins.

A short ball from Cummins from around the wicket hit Bumrah’s helmet and then lobbed up to Steve Smith in the slips.

Bumrah, anticipating that he’d been given out due to the crowd’s cheers and Australia’s appeal, immediately called for a review, not realising he’d actually been given not out.

His wish was granted and replays proved that the umpire’s on-field call did indeed prove to be correct.

After a short visit from the physio, Bumrah was ruled all clear to continue on his innings and there were smiles all around.

Bumrah eventually finished on two not out and was shortly back on the field with the pink ball in hand after India was dismissed for 175 in its second innings.

3. Cummins reminds people of his class

If you’d listened to some of the commentary surrounding the Australian captain after the first Test, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was on his last legs.

Cummins came in for some criticism after finishing with combined figures of 3-153 in two innings in Perth, but he looked a different bowler in Adelaide.

Taking the new ball in Josh Hazlewood’s absence, Cummins bowled with much more nastiness in both innings.

His second-innings performance was vintage Cummins, mixing up glorious length deliveries like the one that accounted for Rohit Sharma with brutal short-pitched deliveries that made mincemeat of India’s tailenders.

Cummins finished with figures of 5-57 in 14 overs, ensuring India didn’t have a sniff of a comeback after Travis Head’s day two century put them on the mat.

“Starcy normally takes all the wickets here, so there’s not many left for others,” he told Fox Cricket after India’s second innings.

“Felt good out there. Pretty happy to come out this morning and knock them over for not too many. We weren’t at our best [in Perth], but we knew it wasn’t as maybe the scoreboard looked. We’ve had a really good week here and everyone’s just turned it on, it’s been great.”

All the talk so far in this series has rightly been about the exploits of India’s spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, but lost in it has been the fact that Australia too possesses a generational paceman in its ranks in Cummins.

4. Aussies show they heard the criticism

Australia’s Test side was battered from pillar to post after being smashed in Perth.

After sealing a terrific bounce-back win in Adelaide, comments from a number of players showed that they weren’t numb to the criticism.

Marnus Labuschagne, who was seemingly batting for his Test career in Adelaide, responded with a gritty half-century and hit back at the haters.

“Last week we lost the Test match and we were apparently the worst Test team ever and this week we finish on day three with the series at one-all,” he told Fox Cricket.

“We know how we’re going in there. It’s nice that so many people are talking about the game.”

There were also claims suggesting the batters and the bowlers in the Australian side did not get along, and Head responded to that rumour.

“It’s a good dressing room to be in, it’s a tight one, although people might suggest otherwise,” he said after being named the Player of the Match.

“We knew that if we rocked up and put in a good performance, nothing was ever guaranteed but we thought we’d give it a good shake and now we can get on with it.”

5. Rohit admits Australia ‘played better than us’

It was a forgettable return to the Test arena for India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, who missed the series opener in Perth.

Rohit did not want to upset the apple cart by re-inserting himself at the top of the order, particularly after India’s openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul had put on a 201-run stand in Perth, and he instead slotted in at number six.

It was a position the Indian skipper had not batted in since 2018, and it showed, as he left Adelaide having scored a combined nine runs in two innings.

“We didn’t play well enough to win the game. Australia played better than us,” he said after the match.

“There were times in the game where we could have grabbed those opportunities but we failed to do that and that has cost us the game.

“What we did in Perth was very special and we wanted to come out here and do that again but, again, we know that every Test match has its own challenge.”

A bit of an ugly secret about Rohit’s career is that despite having prolific overall numbers, he’s been distinctly average in Australia, averaging 27.80 in eight Tests with just three half-centuries in 16 innings.

India will need more production from their main man if the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is to be retained.

6. Travis Head wins Player of the Match and calms tensions

All eyes were on what Head would say in response to Siraj’s comments earlier on day three when he was named the Player of the Match.

Unfortunately, for those wanting some spice and ill-will between the two camps, Head did what he doesn’t often do at the crease — he played the straight bat.

Speaking to ABC Sport after the match, Head said the exchange with Siraj was all “water off a duck’s back” as far as he was concerned.

“He’s come out then and said it was a little bit of a misunderstanding,” he said.

“I think we’ll move on. We’ve had a great week, so let’s not ruin it.

“I’m sweet, and I think he’s the same, and we move on.”

Head was the well-deserved Player of the Match after his 140 firmly shifted the tide in Australia’s favour on day two when the Test was well and truly up for grabs.

“Pat gives me great confidence to see the game and play it how I want to see it,” he said.

“I felt like it was a great opportunity into that second new ball to try and get as many as we can get and try to put them under pressure. It was a hot couple of days and I felt like the new ball was going to be tough work.

“It was nice to be able to come off and I feel like I picked out the moments throughout the innings really well, was able to get the ball rolling and it was a great session last night as well.”

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