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 Siraj’s day was his dismissal of Brandon King, which left the West Indian batsman completely bamboozled. The Hyderabadi pacer was elated with both his overall performance and the key wicket. “It was a good wicket. I was able to execute it the way I wanted. It was a memorable wicket,” Siraj said.
Drawing confidence from his previous performances, Siraj revealed that the England series played a significant role in boosting his morale. “The England series gave me great confidence as it was competitive,” he shared. The Indian pacer also felt that the international gap between the England series and the current Test helped improve his game.
“There was an international gap: I played India A, and there was a lot of humidity and heat in those conditions, so 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,” he explained.
Discussing his role as a leader in the Indian pace department, despite the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj credited domestic cricket and India A matches for enabling his growth. “We don’t get green tops very often in India,” he noted. “I played Ranji Trophy, India A matches, so I get a lot of confidence. It feels very good to perform.”
Siraj also highlighted the benefits of bowling on a green-top wicket. “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 said.
On his bowling tactics, Siraj discussed his use of the wobble seam in his arsenal. He revealed that it was a strategy he employed to compensate for the absence of outswing. “I had natural swing until 2013. Then I started getting outswing in my deliveries. When my outswing was not working much, then I would try the wobble seam,” he added.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-test-day-1-mohammed-siraj-rejoices-memorable-wicket-after-sizzling-in-ahmedabad
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