ENG v IND 2021: Mohammed Siraj shushing Jonny Bairstow was unnecessary, he’ll learn from it- Dinesh Karthik

The first Test ended in a draw after the 5th day was washed out due to rains.

By Jatin Sharma - 12 Aug, 2021

India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik opined that fast bowler Mohammed Siraj giving England batsman Jonny Bairstow a sendoff by shushing him in the first Test in Trent Bridge was unnecessary. However, Karthik said that Siraj will learn from it as he progresses in his international career.

Mohammed Siraj was aggressive in his body language throughout the first Test match in Nottingham and was involved in exchanges with the batsmen multiples times in the drawn Test.

"I do feel it was unnecessary for Siraj to shush batsmen after dismissing them. You have already won the battle, why resort to this? That's one learning for Siraj early in his international career," Karthik, who is commentating on the series, wrote in The Telegraph.

"How many of us would have imagined Virat Kohli stepping in to calm an excitable teammate down? Much to everyone's amusement, the mercurial Indian captain was forced to act swiftly at Trent Bridge to ensure Mohammed Siraj didn't cross the line.

I love the brand of cricket portrayed by this team. Players are unafraid to engage their opponents in verbals, like Siraj and KL Rahul did. This is new-age India, armed with the license to bring out its personality,” Karthik added.

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Karthik wrote that he has observed Indian bowlers steering away from physical confrontation, focusing on doing the job with the ball, taking wickets.

"Strangely enough, most of India's quicker bowlers steer clear of physical aggression. They prefer getting the job done with the ball, which is just fine. The primary reason India have started travelling better is the arsenal of pace Virat is able to summon.

India have conquered Australia twice in a row; England now, and South Africa later in the year, offer further opportunities to reinforce their credentials as an excellent away' side,” the Tamil Nadu cricketer wrote.

Karthik further wrote that he has seen the Indian team from the sidelines and feels Virat Kohli and co, are here to win the Test series.

What makes this series fascinating is that India have, with their body language and aggression, made it clear they are here to win. England, even with all their frailties, are one of the hardest teams to defeat in their own backyard. With London expected to be warm over the next five days, things are set to get hotter, especially if Ravi Ashwin is back in the mix as I expect," he added.

In the second Test at the Lord’s, England won the toss and chose to bowl first.

(PTI inputs)

By Jatin Sharma - 12 Aug, 2021

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