Taking five wickets on such a flat pitch is not easy: Mohammad Siraj

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port of Spain. In the ongoing tour of West Indies, Mohammed Siraj was needed to lead the Indian pace attack. On a slow track at Queen’s Park Oval on the fourth day where the bowlers had nothing to offer, Siraj returned with a career-best five for 60 to give India a comfortable 183-run lead.

For his second leg in Test career, Siraj showed the way to the pavilion to Joshua da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. Siraj did a good mix of inswinger, outswinger and wobble-seam delivery with the second new ball, which kept the West Indies batsmen from playing him well.

The fast bowler said that it was not easy for him to be successful on a flat pitch. He said, “First of all, this performance was really good because it is not easy to claw on such a flat wicket. The pitch was not helping much. I wanted to keep it stump to stump. From there if it seams, it is really good.”

Siraj said after the end of the day’s play, “That was my plan, just to keep executing this simple plan. On the fourth day, we also had a relatively new ball, so it was swinging. On the fifth day, we will start with an old ball. We have to keep the plans simple, not give away too many runs and just build pressure.”

Siraj credited conditioning coach Soham Desai for helping him improve his fitness and bowl in tough conditions.

He said, “It is hot and humid here. It is raining on and off. It is a challenge to keep yourself in rhythm as a fast bowler, when you keep going off the field and the body starts cooling fast.”

“As a fast bowler, it is also difficult to throw long spells in this humidity. I try to keep my body warm and just focus on simple plans. I am really thankful to Soham bhai and give him credit for working on my fitness. I am playing consistently and he works very hard with me. From proteins to omega, he orders everything for me. Look at this whoop band (fitness tracker), he ordered it,” he added.

Without Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Siraj is relishing the chance to lead the Indian fast-bowling line-up.

He said, “To be honest, I really feel good when I am given additional responsibility. It is a great feeling and it is also a challenge. When no one else is there, I have to step on the field and show some responsibility. I like to accept this challenge.”

Siraj ended by saying that top off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin can tear apart the West Indies batting line-up to hand India a resounding victory on the fifth day.

“The way the wicket is behaving, I think Ashwin will have an impact on the West Indies batting (order). The ball is turning.”

(IANS)

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