The city sprinter took two wickets and made two catches in his first test at MCG
Hyderabad: The wait was worth it. Keeping up with a bowler and wiggling your thumbs until after the lunch break is putting your mental fiber to the test. But for Mohammad Siraj of Hyderabad it was a blessing in disguise. The anticipation had only enhanced his concentration and determination to perform at his best. His true character, his patience, his perseverance, his innate abilities, came to the fore.
This was indeed a dream test debut for Hyderabadi. The 26-year-old sprinter was on a hot streak as a bowler and then held his nerve to make two deep catches to make a memorable debut against Australia on the Boxing Day of the second round that began at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. He finished with figures of 15-4-40-2.
Substitute captain Ajinkya Rahane made the 26-year-old Siraj wait until the 28th before receiving the ball. But Siraj scalped on his first test ground with his 43rd ball on his second spell. On his third ball of his eighth round, he had the dangerous Marnus Labuschagne caught in a leg slide by another Indian rookie of the match, Shubman Gill. Labuschagne, who was hit in the helmet by a vicious Siraj goalkeeper earlier, tried to play the ball on the side of the leg, but it went to Gill, who caught it very well.
Siraj captured his second test wicket when he caught Cameron Green’s high leg before landing another breakthrough for India. This time, the fiery Siraj hit the ball sharply to catch Green in the crease and get a favorable verdict from Australian referee Paul Reiffel. The batter referred the decision to DRS and the ball tracker showed the ball hitting the stump of the leg. A happy Siraj was surrounded by his companions.
Australian commentators praised Siraj’s excellent bowling alley. Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath said Siraj was exceptional.
Siraj sprang into action even more when he made his first catch on the thin leg, this time left-hander Michael Starc hooked Jasprit Bumrah directly into the fielder’s hands. Hyderabad once again held their nerve to grab a skier in the long run to fire the last man, Pat Cummins, of left arm spinner Ravinder Jadeja.
Surely Siraj’s father, the late Mohammed Ghouse, who died last month, would be a happy man and would have blessed his son from heaven.
Earlier, it was a great moment when veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin presented him with the Indian Test cap. “Coming from first class and India A grind, you have earned this test limit. Rate it, ” Ashwin told Siraj at the morning ceremony.
Siraj, the son of an auto-rickshaw pilot, is Hyderabad’s second fast pitcher after Syed Abid Ali to play in test cricket. Abid Ali claimed 6 of 55 in his Test debut in Adelaide in 1966.
Former left-armed test player, SL Venkatapathy Raju, said it’s always a great feeling when a player gets a test cap and great relief and joy when a player takes his first test wicket. “I made my New Zealand debut in Christchurch in 1990 and as a spinner I had to wait to get my first lap. You feel butterflies in your stomach eager to pass the first one. It was strange that Captain Ajinkya Rahane would have Siraj, who was also a fast bowler in Australia, take his first pitch only after lunch.
However, Siraj played with a lot of fire. He has been through the first class and the India A tour grinds. He seems like a solid prospect, Raju said.
The 26-year-old fast pitcher thus became the 298th player to win the Indian cap. There were two debutants in this game and starter Shubnam Gill became player number 297.
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