Mohammed Siraj, India's fast bowler, praised captain Rohit Sharma for his ability to comprehend his players while guiding the team on the field. The latter will lead India in the forthcoming rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham, which would be his first foreign assignment as a Test captain.

Rohit Sharma has kept a spotless record as India skipper since taking over from Virat Kohli earlier this year.

The Indian squad whitewashed the West Indies and Sri Lanka at home under his captaincy. In a two-match Test series at home last year, the team had also defeated New Zealand 1-0.

During an event on Wednesday Siraj praised Rohit’s short stint as captain of the Indian team.

He said, “Rohit understands the mental state of a player. Whenever we have a tough time out there on the field, he is the one who comes up with a plan B and motivates the bowlers to do better in the game. It’s a great feeling to work under a captain who understands you so well.”

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In IPL 2022, Siraj had a disappointing season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the tournament, he only took nine wickets at an economy rate of 10.08. The right-arm fast claimed he'll be working hard in the gym to prepare for long stretches on English soil.

“Right now, we have some time before we play the Test against England so for now, I would be training at the ground near my house and working on my fitness, as jumping from T20 to Test is a big change. To bowl those long spells in Test cricket, I really need to focus on my consistency, and it will be my only goal,” Siraj added.

With Ishant Sharma missing out on the Test squad, the onus will fall on Siraj to lead India to their first Test series victory in England since 2007. In the five-match series, they now have an unassailable 2-1 lead.

Siraj is part of the pace department, which includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna.

(News18 inputs)