Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj (left) gestures to Australian batsman Travis Head on the second day of the second Test. — AFP

Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head have been penalized with demerit points for their heated exchange during the second Test between India and Australia, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Additionally, Siraj was fined 20% of his match fee. The incident occurred after Siraj dismissed Head in the pink ball Test in Adelaide, which Australia won by 10 wickets, leveling the five-match series 1-1 at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

The ICC stated, "Siraj has been penalized 20% of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct...," and added that "Head too was sanctioned for breaching Article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the 'abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international match'."

Both players received one demerit point each, marking their first offence within the last 24 months. The ICC noted that both Siraj and Head accepted the sanctions. Head scored a match-winning 140 before being bowled by Siraj, having hit the bowler for a six in the previous ball. An animated Siraj gave a send-off after the dismissal, leading to an exchange of words between the two before Head walked off.

Head later claimed he had jokingly said "well bowled" to Siraj, but the Indian bowler disputed this. Despite the tension, the two shook hands at the end of play, and both teams have attempted to downplay the incident. The series has seen several controversies in the past, including the infamous 'monkeygate' scandal involving India's Harbhajan Singh and Australia's Andrew Symonds in 2008.

Playing together in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has helped improve relations among players. Australia's Josh Hazlewood, who was Siraj's teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore, spoke positively about his former colleague, describing him as a "good character" and someone who is "very passionate."

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