Brisbane: An emotional Mohammed Siraj struggled to describe his maiden five-wicket haul in words. However, he sounded a word of caution about the cracks on the Gabba surface. Mohammed Siraj said that the cracks may create confusion in the Indian batsmen’s minds.
Playing in his maiden Test series, Siraj grabbed five for 73 in the Australian second innings Monday. Australia were dismissed for 294 that left India with a victory target of 328.
“When they bowl, obviously there will be some confusion. It will play in the mind of the batsmen that there are cracks on the pitch. However, I feel our batsmen are well-equipped to handle the problem,” Siraj said at a virtual press conference. When he was asked if he would be required in pursuit of the total, he replied: “If I get opportunity, then I will bat.”
Siraj said the short ball to get rid of Steve Smith was his favourite among the 13 wickets in the series. He also liked the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne.
“In the whole series, I feel it would be Steve Smith’s wicket. There was extra bounce from the area where I thought I will get it. He is the best batsmen in the world and it gave me a lot of confidence. Also the wicket of Marnus (Labuschagne), it boosted my confidence.”
The 26-year-old Hyderabad pacer thanked skipper Ajinkya Rahane for his constant support and encouragement. “Also the kind of opportunities that the youngsters have got. Whether it is (T) Natarajan or Washington (Sundar), all have grabbed them. I will especially thank Rahane for trusting the youngsters and showing confidence in me. He was talking to me all the time and encouraging me,” pointed out Siraj.
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Siraj lost his father during the ongoing tour. He was unable to go back for his last rites and had had a difficult last two months. In the end Siraj feels, the hard work has reaped dividends.
“My dad had wished that his son would play and the entire world would watch him. I hope he could have been there to watch this day. This is because of his blessings that I have got a five-wicket haul in Tests. I am speechless and can’t express my feelings in words,” Siraj said. “It was a tough situation, dad’s demise. I got strength after talking to mom and my focus was to realise dad’s dream,” Siraj informed.
During the series in which all senior pacers pulled out due to injury or fitness issues, Siraj has bowled 134 plus overs in three Test matches.
“I would give credit to one of our trainers, Sohum bhai (Desai). He created a programme for me and was after me. He checked my protein intake (he has cut down on biryani) and saw to it that I had a proper fitness regime during lckdown,” stated Siraj.