Team India seamer Mohammad Siraj had one of the finest days of his career with a four-wicket haul against the West Indies on the opening day of the first Test.
The highlight of the day for Siraj was the dismissal of Brandon King, a wicket that left the West Indian batsman completely bamboozled. The Hyderabadi pacer was elated with his performance and the crucial King dismissal.
“It was a good wicket. I was able to execute it the way I wanted. It was a memorable wicket,” Siraj said.
Siraj also revealed that he drew a lot of confidence from the recent England series, where he was in great form. “The England series gave me great confidence as it was competitive,” he added.
The Indian pacer felt that the gap between the England series and the current Test actually helped his game. “There was an international gap: I played India A, there was a lot of humidity and heat in those conditions and I got a lot of practice and rhythm. After many years, I got such a big gap, so I was able to utilize the time to prepare,” Siraj explained.
Speaking about taking a leadership role in the Indian pace department despite the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj attributed his growth to domestic cricket and India A games.
“We don’t get green tops very often in India,” said Mohammed Siraj. “I played Ranji Trophy, India A matches, so I got a lot of confidence. It feels very good to perform.”
Siraj also highlighted the advantage of bowling on a green-top wicket, which supported his bowling style well. “I got a very good start. We don’t get green tops very often in India. Last time when we played New Zealand, it wasn’t the same pitches,” he noted.
Regarding his bowling technique, Siraj revealed that he uses a wobble seam delivery as a tactical ploy to compensate when his outswing is not working as well. “I had natural swing until 2013, then I started getting outswing in my deliveries. When my outswing was not working much, I would try the wobble seam,” he said.
With his impressive performance and growing confidence, Mohammad Siraj is emerging as a key leader in India’s pace attack.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-test-day-1-mohammed-siraj-rejoices-memorable-wicket-after-sizzling-in-ahmedabad