'I had to take all four with hard work': Mohammed Siraj's fiery spell floors West Indies

NEW DELHI: Star India pacer Mohammed Siraj once again underlined his growing stature in Test cricket with a devastating spell that left the West Indies reeling on the opening day of the first Test on Thursday. Siraj’s four-wicket haul (4/40) dismantled the hosts for 162 in just 44.1 overs, before India replied strongly to close at 121 for 2, trailing by just 41 runs.

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The day belonged to Siraj, who admitted that the chance to bowl on a green-top surface brought out the best in him. “I was very excited to bowl on this green-top wicket, something we don’t get very often in India. The last time we had such a wicket was against New Zealand in Bengaluru,” he said after stumps.


Siraj set the tone early, striking thrice in the morning session with his trademark wobble seam deliveries. The standout dismissal came when he sent Brandon King’s middle stump flying after the batter shouldered arms. “I was able to execute it the way I had planned. Two balls before, he was hit on the pads, and I thought about bowling in the line of the stumps. It worked exactly as I wanted,” Siraj explained.


He also removed West Indies skipper Roston Chase with an angled ball that surprised even him. “With the wobble seam, the ball either comes in or cuts out. But that delivery kept straightening from the shiny side while I had bowled it with wobble seam,” Siraj said with a smile.

Reflecting on his performance, the Hyderabad pacer highlighted how confidence from India’s hard-fought 2-2 series draw in England earlier this year carried over into this match. “It was a very competitive series in England, and I got a lot of confidence from it. To perform against a strong side gives a different kind of confidence and I felt it today as well,” he said.

Siraj admitted the wickets didn’t come easy. “I had to work hard for these four wickets as well. Even in England, I had to work hard. It’s not the case that you can get wickets just like that. No one gave me the fifth wicket (today), I had to take all four with hard work,” he declared, summing up his relentless effort.

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