India pacer Mohammed Siraj visited his father's grave first after landing home on return from Australia tour. Siraj had lost his father in November ahead of the four-match Test series against Australia.
The 26-year-old decided to stay with the team after his mother gave him the strength to endure the pain and represent his country. He made his Test debut in the Boxing-Day match and went on to play three Test matches in the series which India won.
Speaking to Sports Today, Siraj said, “I didn't go home, directly. I went to the graveyard straight from the airport, I went there to sit with my dad for some time. I couldn't speak to him but offered flowers to his grave.”
“And then I came home. When I met my mom, she started crying. Then I tried to console her, telling her not to cry. It was a different feeling. After 6-7 months, her son had come home. Mom was always waiting for me to return. She was counting down how many days were left for me to return,” he added.
Siraj used to look up in the sky after taking wickets and he was joined by his teammate Mayank Agarwal. Talking about his celebration with the media, the pacer said the wickets were dedicated to his father.
"It was difficult & mentally depressing for me. My family told me to fulfill my dad's dream when I called back home. My fiancée motived me & my team also supported me. I dedicated all my wickets to him. My celebration with Mayank Agarwal was dedicated to him," Siraj, who was the highest wicket-taker for India in the Test series, told ANI.
(With Sports Today and ANI Inputs)
