Former England skipper Sir Geoffrey Boycott was mighty impressed with India pacer Mohammed Siraj for his 8-126 in the Lord’s Test match which included four wickets in each innings against England.
Boycott loved the aggression with which Siraj bowled in the second Test match as India pulled off an epic win over hosts England by 151 runs at the Home of Cricket. The Englishman then hoped to see the right-arm quick continue to bowl with the same energy.
“I like Siraj. He is full of energy. No one should tell him to curb anything. Let him flourish in his own way. He’s an asset for India, although he is fairly new,” Boycott told Mid-Day from UK on Wednesday.
“India have got a beautiful attack now. I would like to have Ravichandran Ashwin in the team. Two top-class spinners and three pacers should be my choice of attack,” he added.
The former England opening batsman then addressed how the team stuck together when Bumrah and Shami were batting and how the team came down to receive duo that stitched together an important partnership of 89 runs.
“I liked the way the Indian team rallied around each other. When Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were batting [during their match-defining 89-run stand], the whole team was shouting from the balcony. They even came down to receive them. These things bring about solidarity,” the 80-year-old said.
“England did not deserve to win. They lost the plot very badly on the last day. It’s a pity that they could not break the partnership between Shami and Bumrah,” the English cricketer further said.
The right-hand batsman then took a jibe at England’s top three who have failed miserably in this Test series so far by comparing their batting abilities with his mom.
“I am worried about the English batting line-up. Even my mum could bat better than the top three batters. It’s very sad. Lack of technique is the main reason,” Boycott said in a blunt assessment.
Boycott then talked about how England were in a winning position of Day 4, thanks to Joe Root’s fantastic century, but lost the game on the final day due to Root’s poor captaincy.
“I am not saying that England are better than the Indian team. Joe Root’s century took England to a winning position, but we lost the match because of his bad captaincy.”
“They used the bouncer trap in reply to the Indian batsmen, but the Indian bowlers attacked in a very aggressive manner. Ultimately, England had to lose. The poor technique could not rescue them. I am happy that Root has accepted his mistakes,” the cricketer-turned-commentator signed off.
After the Lord’s Test match, India went 1-0 up in the five-match Test series and will be back on the field in the third Test scheduled to be played at Headingley in Leeds from 25 August.
(With Mid-Day Inputs)
