Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj said he welcomed the chance to lead the bowling attack while Jasprit Bumrah was out. He called his six-wicket haul unbelievable after India gained an advantage in the second Test against England on Friday.
Siraj’s 6/70 helped India stay ahead after Jamie Smith (184 not out off 207) and Harry Brook (158 off 234) made hundreds, threatening to take the game away on day three. It’s unbelievable because I had been waiting a while. I have been bowling well but not getting wickets. I have only got four-wicket hauls here, so getting six is special, Siraj said.
Siraj struck twice early, leaving England at 84 for five. Brook and Smith then had a 303-run partnership off 368 balls. The 31-year-old from Hyderabad returned to finish off England, who ended with 407 in response to India’s 587.
Siraj said the wicket was slow, so it was important to be disciplined. The wicket was slow, but I was given the job to lead the attack. I aimed to not overdo it and bowl in the right areas with discipline. My mindset was to keep it tight and not give away runs, he said.
With Bumrah rested, Siraj led a less-experienced pace unit with Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna. It’s Akash Deep’s third or fourth game, same for Prasidh, so I focused on being consistent and building pressure. I felt like trying different things, but I had to stay consistent, he said.
When asked about his good record without Bumrah, Siraj said: I love responsibility, I love the challenge. India is ahead of England by 244 runs, and Siraj said they have the advantage but need to set a big target. We are quite ahead now, but the plan is to get as many runs as possible because we know they like to attack, he said.
Siraj said the pitch is slowing down and that patience is key. Day by day, the pitch is slowing down more. If you keep bowling in one area… If you start leaking runs, it’s hard to stop. We saw that with Smith and Brook. Patience is important here.