Mohammed Siraj, one of India’s key performers in the victory over Pakistan, praised the entire bowling unit after a result that took the team to the top of the points table. Addressing the media after the match, Siraj spoke about the importance of the toss, his performance, and the atmosphere in the dressing room.
“You see, our bowling unit is doing so well from the last three matches,” said Siraj. “It’s not like only one person is performing. Overall, the bowling unit is performing well. If you don’t get a wicket, you’re building pressure and putting in a dot ball. In this, the team will get the success and the team will get the help. When Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] bowls the ball, you can see what line is better on the wicket. When you’re at the third man or final leg, you get to see the line and get some information from the keeper that this line is better on the wicket. So, it becomes easier to execute.”
One of the reasons for India’s success was how they kept their nerve despite Pakistan making a strong start. “To be honest, I didn’t feel that the team was playing a match between India and Pakistan,” said Siraj. “Because this is a World Cup match, and every match is very important for us. We are focusing on that one match at a time. We are talking like that. We played three matches and won three out of three. The environment is very good.”
Though he went for plenty in his opening spell, it was Siraj’s dismissal of the well-set Babar Azam that opened the floodgates. “I would like to say one thing, the ball didn’t come low, because the ball was pitched in front and he tried to play it behind [square], that’s why he was late,” said Siraj. “Otherwise, the ball was executed just as I thought. It skidded a little, nothing else.”
A relative newcomer to the side, and playing his first World Cup, Siraj was grateful for the experienced heads in the dressing room, who continued to back him on the field even as he went for runs. “What can I say? Whatever point [information] you get from a senior player, it helps the whole team,” said Siraj. “It is meant for the whole team not just one player. Because when the team wins, not just one person, the whole team wins the World Cup.”
Of the seven previous World Cup matches between the two sides, six had been won by the side batting first. India decided to buck that trend by sending Pakistan in to bat. “Winning the toss was good for us,” said Siraj. “Because in the second innings, the dew is a big factor. So, toss had an important role.”
Rohit Sharma’s faith in Siraj was best illustrated in the opening spell when he persisted with despite a flurry of boundaries. The captain’s belief in his strike bowler was vindicated by the vital wicket of Abdullah Shafique, scorer of a brilliant hundred against Sri Lanka. “When a new ball comes in, you have to see if it’s swinging or not,” said Siraj. “You can pitch it up at the start and can get hit for a few boundaries because you are trying to figure out if the ball is swinging or not. Then we understand which line is better on the wicket. Then we consistently keep hitting the areas. Abdullah Shafique’s wicket was a plan because I had spoken to Rohit Bhai – I had bowled a bouncer to him before, but he got stuck in the middle. Then I talked to Rohit for a while. He thought I was going to bowl the bouncer again. He was on the back foot and I pitched the ball up and got good success.”
The wickets of Shafique and Babar represented Siraj’s best World Cup outing so far. With the nerves now settling down, there could be many more to come.