The penultimate day of the Brisbane Test turned out to be a special one for Indian right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the youngster led the Indian bowling attack from the front and returned with magical bowling figures of 5-73, bundling Australia for 294 in their second innings at the Gabba.
It was the maiden five-wicket haul for Siraj in Test cricket. After the end of day’s play, the speedster thanked stand-in Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane for being the guiding light. During the post-match virtual presser, Siraj said that he would love to contribute with the bat if he gets the opportunity on Tuesday as India need 324 runs to win.
“If I get a chance, I will bat for India but the goal is to win to the series. After so many injuries but still, we had fought back especially in the first innings. It is a proud moment to see how youngsters Shardul, Washington, and Natarajan are performing,” said Siraj.
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“They all are grabbing the opportunities and I would like to thank Rahane who showed trust in me and the youngsters. He was constantly talking to me and he gave me confidence,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“They all are grabbing the opportunities and I would like to thank Rahane who showed trust in me and the youngsters. He was constantly talking to me and he gave me confidence,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The short ball to get rid of Steve Smith was his favourite among the 13 wickets in the series, along with 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 batsman in the world and it gave me a lot of confidence, also the wicket of Marnus (Labuschagne), it boosted my confidence.”
Having lost his father during the ongoing tour and being unable to go back for his last rites, Siraj had a difficult last two months but in the end, 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."
“It was a tough situation, dad's demise. I got strength after talking to mom and my focus was to realise dad's dream,” he said.
With rain playing spoilsport in the final session, the Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill could face just 1.5 overs on the fourth evening before the umpires decided to call for early stumps. India needs 324 runs on the final day with 10 wickets in hand.
(With Agency Inputs)