India vs West Indies: Siraj reveals how Virat Kohli eased his nerves ahead of debut

Mohammed Siraj has an impressive first-class record. While he has 97 wickets from 20 first-class games, he has taken 52 wickets in 27 List A matches.

Updated on: Oct 3, 2018, 10:24:04 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Anonymous

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With the national selectors deciding to give Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar a break for the West Indies series, seamer Mohammed Siraj could well be handed a debut in Rajkot, especially with him looking in red-hot form at the moment. Siraj has actually improved in the last season and has an impressive first-class record. While he has 97 wickets from 20 first-class games, he has taken 52 wickets in 27 List A matches.

Siraj having earlier spoken about MS Dhoni’s role in helping him improve as a bowler has now credited skipper Virat Kohli for easing his nerves during his T20I debut against New Zealand. “When I was selected for T20Is against New Zealand last year, I had a chat with Kohli bhai. I was nervous. He said ‘Tension mat le, ground pe baat karenge. Bass ready reh kal khelne ke liye’ (Don’t worry, we will talk on the field. Just be ready for your debut match),” Siraj told the Times of India.

Stung by defeat in England and heading to Australia for a tough tour next month, India’s cricketers are looking for some confidence-boosting home victories against the West Indies from Thursday. The number one Test side and the winner of last week’s Asia Cup start as favourites against the eighth-ranked West Indies in the series of two Tests, five one-day internationals and three twenty20 games.

“West Indies doesn’t have a team to compete against India. They don’t stand a chance at all,” veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh told AFP ahead of the first Test in Rajkot starting on Thursday.

But India may not find it so easy, with series defeats this year in England and South Africa revealing some serious chinks in India’s armour, at least away from home. India, under talismanic captain Virat Kohli, have new faces in uncapped batsman Mayank Agarwal and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj.

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