India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj may have only picked three wickets in the first Test against England in Trent Bridge. But his consistent spells, his confidence levels, and his ability to put England batters in trouble showcased why the team management backed him over veteran Ishant Sharma in Nottingham.
Since making his debut in Australia, Siraj is slowly and steadily becoming one of the most trusted pacers in the squad, especially in Test cricket.
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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt also praised Siraj for his performance in the first Test and said that the right-arm bowler does not seem like a newcomer in the longest format.
“Mohammed Siraj may be relatively inexperienced at the Test level but he has played a lot of first-class cricket and has been on A tours as well. The way he bowls, it doesn’t seem like he is a newcomer in Test cricket," Butt said in a video uploaded on his Youtube channel.
"He knows what lines to bowl. He is young and has pace as well. The exuberance of youth can be seen when he runs into bowl. Siraj has challenged the batsmen, bent his back and bowled bouncers. He is tall and strong. Siraj is definitely a brilliant future prospect. He is providing the team with wickets and not giving away too much," Butt added.
{{/usCountry}}"He knows what lines to bowl. He is young and has pace as well. The exuberance of youth can be seen when he runs into bowl. Siraj has challenged the batsmen, bent his back and bowled bouncers. He is tall and strong. Siraj is definitely a brilliant future prospect. He is providing the team with wickets and not giving away too much," Butt added.
{{/usCountry}}“He fits into this team really well. I don’t know whether Ishant Sharma was fit or not for the first Test but Siraj was really impressive as was Shardul Thakur. They backed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami really well. It is because of their fast bowlers that India have started winning Tests away from home," Butt signed off.
India and England will play the 2nd Test at Lord's starting from Thursday this week.