Team India head coach, Ravi Shastri hailed Mohammed Siraj as the find of the tour for leading an inexperienced bowling attack in the final Test at Gabba during the recent Test series against Australia.
Mohammed Siraj had an emotional lead up to his Test debut as he had lost his father right after arriving in Australia.
Siraj was given an option to head back to be with his family during the trying times, however, the former decided to stay with Team India and fulfill his father’s dream of playing Test-cricket for the Country.
Debuting in the second Test match at Melbourne cricket ground (MCG), where India registered a stunning 8-wicket victory after suffering a batting debacle at Adelaide, Mohammed Siraj impressed everyone as the 26-year old pacer took 5 wickets in the match.
Going ahead Mohammed Siraj, along with Jasprit Bumrah suffered racial abuses by few drunk supporters who took jibes at him with taunts that were seriously insulting and called him “brown monkey.”
In the fourth Test in Brisbane, Siraj led a young Indian bowling attack from the front as he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in the longest format of the game. Siraj returned with match figures of 7/150 as India beat Australia by three wickets at the Gabba to help the visitors seal the four-match series, 2-1.
Siraj was the most successful Indian bowler in the recently concluded Test series in Australia. He picked up 13 wickets in three matches at an average of 29.54.
Indian Team head coach, Ravi Shastri appreciated Mohammed Siraj for battling through personal loss and racial remarks in the recent Test series against Australia and called him Find of the tour.
"Find of the tour for shoring up the bowling attack the way he did - Mohd Siraj. He fought through personal loss, racial remarks and channelised them to find home in the team huddle," Ravi Shastri tweeted.
(NDTV Sports Inputs)
