"We were confident that he would defend 15 runs" - Yuzvendra Chahal on Siraj's match-winning performance in 1st IND vs WI ODI
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has stated that the Indian team was confident that Mohammad Siraj will defend 15 runs off the last over in the first ODI against West Indies at the Port of Spain on July 22.
Siraj wasn't in the greatest of forms in the IPL 2022 season as he leaked a lot of runs at the death. But he nailed his yorkers to almost perfection against the West Indies and repaid the faith shown in him by the team management.
Speaking to reporters in a video posted by Sports Today after the match, Chahal also lauded Sanju Samson's diving effort on the penultimate delivery that saved five wides and instilled confidence in the team:
"The way Siraj nailed his yorkers, we were confident that he would defend 15 runs. Even the couple of overs he bowled before, he hardly missed his yorkers. But of course, there is always the pressure of the last over, especially the way Shepherd was batting. But the way Samson stopped that wide ball also gave confidence."
Confidence of all bowlers will go up after games like these: Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal is of the opinion that such a close win will definitely lift the morale of the team and especially the bowling line-up. The 32-year-old stressed how small the dimensions of the ground were and a few other factors that had the odds of defending the total against the Men in Blue:
"Especially after games like these, the confidence of all bowlers will go up. This is because the ground is small and they have big hitters so it is not that easy to defend the total. So we plan accordingly and we learn from it that we gave probably 10-15 runs more."
Siraj's last over.
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The two teams will once again lock horns on the same ground on Sunday, July 24. The hosts will need to show some character to make a comeback after such an agonizing loss as India will be keen to wrap up the series.