It was just a couple of sentences from Ravichandran Ashwin, but they were enough to describe Mohammed Siraj’s journey. Ashwin acknowledged that Siraj had gone through the ‘routines’ of national and India A cricket and has ‘earned’ his right to play for India as he handed over the test cap to the Hyderabad shutdown at MCG on Saturday.
“Going through the first class routine and the India A routine, you have earned this test limit. You will join the team during this test match, ”Ashwin told Siraj before the young man took off his cap and wore it before the start of the second test against Australia, even as the rest of the Indian players cheered and applauded.
Siraj replaced the injured Mohammed Shami, who broke his wrist after being hit by a Pat Cummins goalie in the second inning of the Adelaide Test.
India vs Australia 2nd Live Test
It has not been a bed of roses for Siraj. She has had to make consistent performances for Hyderabad at the Ranji Trophy and also for India A to win her Test call.
The BCCI also highlighted how Siraj fought a personal tragedy (he lost his father in the early stages of the Australia tour) and decided to stay with the team.
He battled personal tragedy, battled adversity, and is now rewarded with the Indian Trial 🧢 no. 298. Congratulations, Mohammed Siraj. Seize the day! BCCI tweeted.
Siraj wasn’t the only one to make his Test 2 debut against Australia on Saturday. Shubman Gill from Punjab was another. The talented right-hander entered the wing in place of an out-of-form Prithvi Shaw.
Head coach Ravi Shastri handed him his test cap.
“The moment your dreams come true. There is no better stage than the Boxing Day Test to make your first appearance in the Test. Shubman Gill is now the proud owner of India’s No. 297 test cap, ”BCCI tweeted.
The last time India played multiple rookies was in 2013 against the West Indies in Kolkata, with Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami as rookies.
The last time India played multiple rookies against Australia was in 2004 in Mumbai, with Dinesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir as rookies.
This is only the fourth instance that India has played multiple rookies in a test match in Australia. The last of those cases was in 1967 in Adelaide, with Umesh Kulkarni and Syed Abid Ali as debutants.
Since 1993, this is the first instance of any team with multiple MCG debutants. South Africa was the last team to do so with Gary Kirsten and Fannie de Villiers as debutants.
Meanwhile, Australia won the toss and opted to hit first at the MCG. Australia has featured an unchanged game XI that beat India by 8 wickets in Adelaide a few days ago.
India made four changes, in addition to Gill and Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant also returned to the Indian side.
Australia leads the four-game series 1-0.
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