India pacer Mohammed Siraj said that the pitch in New Delhi for the second Test of the recently concluded series against the West Indies was more challenging for fast bowlers than the pitch in Ahmedabad.
Having played in both Tests, Siraj assessed the pitches used in the series, which India won 2–0, saying: “To be honest, this series went very well. When we played in Ahmedabad, there was some help for the fast bowlers. In New Delhi, we had to bowl a lot of overs. Every wicket I took felt like five. I feel very proud as a person after any achievement. I will try to continue with such performances because Test cricket is my favourite format.”
The 31-year-old took three wickets in the second Test, including the important dismissal of Shai Hope, who scored a century in the second innings. In a series where the pacers didn’t have a great impact, Siraj finished with 10 wickets – the second-highest tally in the series after Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed 12.
The Hyderabad-born player received the Impact Player of the Series medal for his performance and spoke about the challenges of playing Test cricket.
“There are so many challenges in it – you have to be on the field the whole day, and you have to manage both physically and mentally,” he said in a video released by the BCCI. “It’s very different, but it also makes me feel proud and helps me enjoy the game. As a fast bowler, when you’re rewarded after putting in the effort, you gain a lot of confidence, and winning the Impact Player award makes you feel happy in the dressing room.”
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