Watch: Mohammed Siraj walks up to Najmul Hasan Shanto's face and sledges him, Bangladesh batter gives befitting reply
Mohammed Siraj walked up to the Bangladesh's Najmul Shanto to have a few words and engage in a bit of a heated exchange with both players mouthing something to each other.
Hoping to stay alive in the series, India made a brilliant start in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur, wrecking the hosts' top order cheaply. At the end of the 19th over mark, Bangladesh were reduced to 69/6 with pacer Umran Malik, Mohammed Siraj and off-spinner Washington Sundar leaving them reeling. While Umran's searing pace got everybody buzzing, it was Siraj who provided the first two breakthroughs for India, getting the wickets of opener Anamul Haque and captain Litton Das.
From the onset itself, Bangladesh found it tough to get going. After Siraj had Haque out LBW, in came Najmul Hasan Shanto but he was not allowed to settle as Siraj bowled his heart out. Shanto drilled Siraj down the ground for a boundary off the first ball of the eight over before the India quick came back strongly to beat him off consecutive deliveries. The fourth ball of the over was another beautiful away-swinger from Siraj, after which the 28-year-old had something to say to Shanto. He walked up to the Bangladesh batter to have a few words and engage in a bit of a heated exchange with both players mouthing something to each other.
Also Read: India vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Live Score and Updates
In the end though, it was Shanto who won the battle, ending the over with another four that was pinned down the wicket left off Siraj. Shanto did not last long though as after scoring 21 off 35, he was cleaned up by a 15 kmph thunderbolt by Umran Malik which sent the stumps cartwheeling. However, Umran may have gotten the wicket, but it was Siraj who set up the dismissal having bowled a couple of extremely tight overs.
Siraj bowled a mesmerizing first spell of 2/29 off five overs. He got the ball to move both ways and ensured India did not have to wait long for wickets. As a matter of fact, Siraj has been in red-hot form lately for India. He recently bagged a four-wicket-haul against New Zealand in the third T20I in Napier last month, a match that ended in a tie after being abandoned due to rain. He is now the leading wicket-taker in ODIs for India in 2022, having picked up 23 wickets from 15 matches. In fact, since his ODI debut in 2019, no Indian bowler has grabbed more wickets in the Powerplay than Siraj.