In a highly charged session during Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford (Manchester), Indian speedster Mohammed Siraj engaged in a heated verbal exchange with England opener Ben Duckett, visibly frustrated after being targeted by aggressive batting.

The altercation occurred during the third session as Duckett, alongside Zak Crawley, built a dominant 166‑run stand against India's seamers - all while undermining India's rhythm with near five‑runs‑per‑over aggression. Facing mounting pressure, Siraj - untouched in terms of wickets at 0/58 from 10 overs - was seen pointing fingers and exchanging words with Duckett, prompting the umpire to intervene and defuse the situation.

It wasn’t Siraj’s first brush with fiery behavior this series. He had previously been fined 15% of his match fee and received one ICC demerit point for a walking‑away, face‑to‑face send‑off after dismissing Duckett at Lord’s, an incident that sparked criticism over on‑field aggression.

Amid England’s assertive batting display, which saw them close the day at 225/2, Siraj’s frustration was evident—but so too was the mounting tension between the teams, adding a raw intensity to the Test contest