Playing his first Test, Mohammed Siraj showed the confidence to use all his skills: Jasprit Bumrah
Team India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah praised fellow bowler and debutant Mohammed Siraj for putting up an impressive show on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the MCG.
Mohammed Siraj claimed 2 for 40 in 15 overs as India cleaned up Australia for 195 in 72.3 overs. In a video posted on BCCI’s official Twitter account, Bumrah was seen evaluating the debutant pacer’s performance. He said:
“He (Mohammed Siraj) was very eager to bowl in the first session. He was waiting for his chance. He has worked really hard. He has come up through the ranks. He was bowling well, and was in amidst a good spell.”
Bumrah added that it was during his spell in the second session that Mohammed Siraj was all the more impressive as he made things happen when the game seemed to be meandering along. He added:
“When he came after the first session there was not a lot happening. He bowled with a lot of control and then, suddenly, he started getting a little bit of movement. So he tried to use the best of it and, playing his first Test match, he bowled really well and he showed confidence of using all his skills. That’s a very heartening sign for us and hopefully he continues like that.”
Bumrah, Ashwin and Mohammed Siraj make it India’s day
Mohammed Siraj's first Test victim was a crucial one. He sent back Australia’s top-scorer Marnus Labuschagne for 48 as the latter glanced the bowler straight to backward square leg where another debutant, Shubman Gill, took a brilliant catch.
Growing in confidence with a Test wicket against his name, Mohammed Siraj then trapped Cameron Green lbw for 12 with one that came back in and caught Green completely off guard.
In what was a fabulous bowling effort, Bumrah claimed 4 for 56 and Ravichandran Ashwin 3 for 35 as the horrors of 36 all out from Adelaide seemed like a distant dream.
Like in the first Test, the bowlers have done their job in this first innings of the Boxing Day Test as well. It is now up to the batsmen to make amends for the Adelaide nightmare.
At stumps, they were again at 36, but this time for the loss of just one wicket, a big one though. Opener Mayank Agarwal was trapped lbw without scoring in the first over with Mitchell Starc continuing to torment India.