Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj shared a light-hearted moment from day one of the ongoing first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. After India bowled out the Proteas for just 159, they finished the day with 37/1. After the day’s play, Siraj spoke to the broadcasters and revealed a small request he made to captain Shubman Gill.
Siraj said with a smile: “Bas ek over de de… Aur usi over mein do wicket mil gaye (Please give me one more over… and I got a couple of wickets).”
Although he finished with two important wickets, Siraj’s day did not begin smoothly. During his early spells, he struggled to find the right rhythm and seemed slightly off in his control. India had tried different combinations and Gill was rotating his bowlers smartly.
Gill initially wanted to bring on a spinner from Siraj’s end after he had bowled three consecutive overs in his third spell. But Siraj felt he was just starting to get into his groove. Confident that he could make an impact, he walked up to his captain and pleaded for one more chance. Gill agreed—and that one extra over turned out to be a game-changing moment.
In the 45th over, Siraj struck twice, removing Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen. Siraj also explained the tactical approach that worked for him later in the day.
He said: “The new ball came onto the bat nicely. The older ball was keeping low, so I attacked the stumps and built pressure. When the ball was reversing, it was tough to score off the stumps, especially with a leg-side field. The wider you go, the easier it gets. Bumrah was telling me to keep the lines straight.”
He praised the overall bowling effort, noting that India fought back strongly after South Africa’s cautious start.
“We’re in a good position, just one wicket down. They started really well before our bowlers hit back,” Siraj added.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz