NEWS
Follow UsIf the first three days of this second Test between India and West Indies were a snail, the fourth day was anything but that. India needed quick wickets, and their plans was quite evident, attack the stumps and draw false shots. Mohammed Siraj’s expertise in that department is well-renowned, and the experienced pacer just showed why he is rated quite high on day four.
On a placid and slow surface in Trinidad, the right-arm pacer ended with career-best figures of 5/60, mastering the art of both in-swing and out-swing, outfoxing the batters. The absence of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah further forced Siraj to take up the leadership mantle, and he didn’t disappoint, setting up the perfect example for the other pacers.
"First of all, this performance was really good because it's not easy to take a five-fer on such a flat wicket," Siraj said at the end of the fourth day's play.
A placid surface in Trinidad meant that the bowlers had to be quick-thinkers, and the Indian bowlers were exactly that, altering their plans as the days went by in this clash. With a relatively newer ball, India started the day with the task of bundling the Windies out cheaply, and they accomplished that feat, picking up five wickets in seven overs.
"The pitch wasn't doing much. I wanted to keep it stump to stump. From there if it seams, it's really good. That was my plan, just to keep executing this simple plan. Today we had a relatively new ball too, so it was swinging. Tomorrow we'll start with an older ball, we'll have to keep simple plans, not give away too many runs and just keep building the pressure."
Frequent rain breaks didn’t help the cause, but Siraj insisted that the rigorous practise, and the sessions with India’s strength and conditioning coach, Soham Desai, helped him keep up his fitness levels.
"It's hot and humid here. On and off it's raining too. It's a challenge to keep yourself warmed up as a fast bowler when you keep going off the field and the body tends to relax and cool down fast. As a fast bowler it's also difficult to bowl long spells in this humidity. I try to keep my body warmed up and just focus on simple plans.
"I'm really thankful to Soham bhai (S&C coach) and credit to him for working on my fitness. I'm playing continuously and he works so hard with me. From proteins to omegas, he orders everything for me. Look at this whoop band [fitness tracker], he only ordered it…
It isn’t the first time Siraj has been tasked with taking up responsibility, with the pacer being one of the go-to-bowlers for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Siraj opined that the responsibility to lead the bowling unit is good and showed that he was ready for the challenge.
"To be honest, I feel really good when you are given an extra responsibility [of leading the attack]. It's a great feeling and it's a challenge too. When no one else is there, I have to get on the ground and show some responsibility. I like accepting this challenge," Siraj added.
