India pacer Mohammed Siraj was over the moon as he played a crucial role in Men in Blue winning the Asia Cup 2023 tournament. India defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a one-sided domination in Colombo on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka was bundled for 50 runs with Mohammed Siraj picking 6/21 and Hardik Pandya taking 3/3. In reply, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan overhauled the target in 6.1 overs to give India a 10-wicket win and their 8th Asia Cup title.
Mohammed Siraj was named the Player of the Match and during his record 6/21, he had taken four wickets in an over, becoming the first Indian and fourth bowler overall to achieve this feat.
Speaking about the same to Kuldeep Yadav in a new BCCI video, Siraj explained the latest weapon in his arsenal and how it helped him claim a fifth wicket. His fifth wicket was that of Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, who tried to flick a straight ball to mid-wicket, but the ball swung enough to smash into his off-stump.
“In West Indies, I my outswing from wide of the crease was going well, so I tried the inswing from wide of the crease. Jo dimag mey plan kiya wo perfect….same waise hi hua (It all went as I had planned it). It was my best wicket to date.
To be honest today’s spell was magical. I have never thought that I would bowl such a spell. Last time in Sri Lanka, when we played in Trivandrum I bagged four wickets in four overs but I didn’t get that fifth wicket. In two matches we played here, I was bowling well, beating the edge but was not finding the edges,” Siraj said.
“The first ball I bowled and when I released the ball I got swing. I thought that on this wicket you don’t need to hit the deck, you just had to release the ball at one spot. That was my plan,” Siraj added.
While Siraj was the player of the match for India, Kuldeep Yadav finished the Asia Cup as the player of the tournament. The left-arm wrist spinner clinched nine wickets in the competition, including a fifer against Pakistan.
Kuldeep told Siraj, “I also read wickets like you. For me length is important. I am also trying to read batters mind and what is he trying to anticipate. I am using my wrong un and flipper while using the crease. I have got confidence with this rhythm.”
Kuldeep would also share details on his wrong’un.
“I have worked well (on it) for the past one and half years. I am in a very good rhythm. When I started I was not getting the rhythm but now everything is smooth. I am getting then perfect speed as well,” he added.
Kuldeep would conclude by stating, “The way you bowled in the final. You deserved all the wickets.”
Here is the video:
