Sachin Tendulkar praises Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill for impressive debuts Down Under
Sachin Tendulkar praised Indian debutants Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill for their solid performances during India’s 8-wicket win against Australia in the second Test Down Under.
Tendulkar pointed out how both Gill and Siraj looked comfortable while playing their first Test match and applauded them for executing their plans perfectly.
Team India handed debuts to Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne and both players performed well. While Mohammed Siraj picked up 5 wickets, Shubman Gill aggregated 80 runs with the bat.
Speaking to PTI, Sachin Tendulkar highlighted the contribution made by Shubman Gill at Melbourne. The Little Master praised the youngster’s response to the short-pitched bowling by the Australians.
"Shubman looked confident and comfortable. He played some good shots off the short-pitched stuff that the Australians bowled. Both debutants were comfortable in the execution of their plans," noted Sachin Tendulkar.
Many have called for Shubman Gill to be included in the team since the start of the series and the youngster grabbed his chance with both hands at Melbourne. The player looked confident in both the innings and faced the Australian bowlers with great maturity.
Gill scored a classy 45 and a quickfire 35* in the Boxing Day Test and even outshone senior opener Mayank Agarwal.
Gill everyone's attention with his solid debut, with even Pat Cummins calling him a calm character on the field. Gill’s impressive debut means that the youngster may keep his place in the 3rd Test despite the expected return of star opener Rohit Sharma.
Sachin Tendulkar singles out Mohammed Siraj for praise
Sachin Tendulkar also reserved special praise for debutant Mohammed Siraj. The fast bowler was thrust into action after an injury to Mohammed Shami during the 2nd Test. Siraj ended with figures of 5 for 77, which was the second-highest for a visiting fast bowler on his debut in Australia in the last 50 years.
The pacer grew into the game with each day and showed great temperament to keep the Australian batsmen on their toes. Tendulkar referred to this progression and noted that the fast bowler looked at home in the Test side.
"Let's also not forget how Siraj has bowled. It did not appear to me that he was playing his first Test match. The way he bowled his first over and then built it up gradually, it didn't look like he was playing his first match. The plans were well thought out. He executed it well," said Sachin Tendulkar.
The duo had performed well in the practice matches against Australia A and will be more relaxed for the third Test after making their debuts. Due to their solid outings, the two players will be in the spotlight during the upcoming Tests.