"Mohammed Siraj has looked effective on all kinds of pitches" -Salman Butt on Indian pacer's form

Salman Butt reserved high praise for Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami following the side's clinical eight-wicket win in the second ODI of their series against New Zealand on Saturday, January 21.

Butt highlighted how Siraj has performed exceptionally well in recent outings. He lauded the fast bowler for consistently providing India with early breakthroughs. The former Pakistan captain opined that the 28-year-old has shown that he can be successful on all types of pitches.

He also commended senior seamer Mohammed Shami for his stunning new ball spell against New Zealand. Butt also claimed that the seasoned bowler becomes very lethal whenever there is some swing on offer.

"Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj used the new ball really well," Butt said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "Siraj has looked effective on all kinds of pitches. He has picked up early wickets in almost every match lately.

"With some help on offer for the pacers, Shami is almost unplayable with the new ball. Batting against him becomes very tough when there is some movement."

Notably, both Shami and Siraj gave the Kiwi batters a torrid time at Raipur. They put them on the back foot, delivering brilliant spells with the new ball.

Shami was the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Blue, bagging three scalps while conceding 18 runs in six overs. Siraj, on the other hand, went for just 10 runs from his six overs and also picked up the crucial wicket of Henry Nicholls.

"Their cricket has gone better and better" - Salman Butt on Team India's recent performances

Salman Butt further stated that Rohit Sharma and Co. completely dominated the New Zealand side in the second ODI to seal yet another bilateral series win on home soil.

He pointed out that the side have continued to upstage opposition, even after making consistent changes to their lineup. Butt suggested that this shows that India have built a very strong bench strength over a period of time.

"It was a completely dominant win for India," Butt added. "They have a winning streak in ODI bilateral series at home. Their cricket has gone better and better, despite the fact that they have made a lot of changes to their team. We have seen that a player has had to sit out even after hitting a double hundred. It shows you the kind of bench strength India have."

The Indian bowlers did a fantastic job in the second encounter, bundling out New Zealand for a party score of 108. The hosts chased down the total comfortably in the 21st over itself to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

For his impactful 3️⃣-wicket haul in the first innings, @MdShami11 bagged the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia won the second #INDvNZ ODI by eight wickets 👏👏

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvNZ-2023-2N… @mastercardindia https://t.co/Nxb3Q0dQE5

The third and final fixture will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Tuesday, January 24. Following the completion of the 50-over rubber, the two nations will compete in a three-match T20 series beginning on Friday, January 27.