Siraj hailed youngsters for a remarkable fightback in the first innings & credited stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane for being the guiding light
The Indian bowling attack might have put in a commendable show even in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the ongoing fourth Test, but Mohammed Siraj has missed the pacer. In Bumrah’s absence, Siraj has led the pace attack.
Siraj hasn’t disappointed as he picked his maiden five-wicket haul on Monday to bundle out Australia for 294 in their second essay. The right-arm pacer, whose experience in the domestic circuit came in handy, said his aim was to build pressure on the Australia batsmen.
“No, not like a senior bowler but the games I played for India and the domestic cricket experience helped me gain some confidence for the matches,” Siraj told the media during the virtual press conference at the end of the fourth day’s action at The Gabba.
“I missed Jassi bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) and in his absence, I had to step up on the occasion. My aim was to build pressure on Australia batsmen,” he added.
The ‘injury-ravaged’ Team India has a chance to register back-to-back series wins on Australian soil. Siraj said the goal is to win the series after seeing how the side fought back despite not having the key players.
The Indian pacer hailed youngsters for a remarkable fightback in the first innings and credited stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane for being the guiding light.
“If I get a chance, I will bat for India but the goal is to win to the series. After so many injuries but still, we had fought back especially in the first innings. It is a proud moment to see how youngsters Shardul, Washington, and Natarajan are performing,” said Siraj.
“They all are grabbing the opportunities and I would like to thank Rahane who showed trust in me and the youngsters. He was constantly talking to me and he gave me confidence,” he added.
In the final session, with rain playing spoilsport, the Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill could face just 1.5 overs on the fourth evening before the umpires decided to call for early stumps. India needs 324 runs on the final day with 10 wickets in the bag at Australia’s fortress — The Gabba.