Rohit Sharma praises Siraj on his five-wicket haul in the first innings of the 2nd Test against West Indies and says he had taken a big step into his career.
Rohit praises Siraj on five-wicket haul
The Second Test of the West Indies tour 2023 started on July 20 at the port of Spain, Trinidad. After many feats in the first Test, the Indian team played their 100th test match against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval which concluded in a draw.
Players like Ashwin and Yashasvi who executed a great performance in the Test match at Windsor Park were lauded by Rohit Sharma.
The skipper Rohit Sharma had spoken after a 1-0 series win on the 1st Test against West Indies saying, The Indian team is in the right place. He also praised Mohammed Siraj for his responsibility on 2nd West Indies in the absence of senior Pacers.
He was awarded the player of the match in the traditional five days test after grabbing 5 wickets for 60 runs against the West Indies in the second Test. The rain washed out on the final day at Queen’s Park Oval. On imposing a target of 365, West Indies were 76/2 on the fourth day of the match.
“We are in the right place. It’s about getting the job done,” Rohit said at the ceremony. He said that the team is not looking for only a bowler to play the lead role.
“Siraj, I have been watching closely. He’s taken such a giant step. He has led this attack. I don’t want anyone to lead the attack. I want everyone to lead when they are having the ball in their hand. You want the entire pace battery taking the responsibility,” he said.
“Every win is different. Playing in West Indies has its own challenge. Happy with the way things went. We gave it a good shot, unfortunately, we couldn’t get any play today. We actually went out with a positive intent yesterday.
“Rain had its final say. We were quite confident. You know how difficult it is batting last. We always wanted that kind of score where we wanted the opposition to go for it. There wasn’t much on the surface. No play today, unfortunate for us.”
Rohit Sharma also praised the efforts of Virat as he scored a century and Ishan Kishan’s half-century in 34 balls. Siraj said he was not in pressure, despite the absence of bowlers like Bumrah and Shami.
“This is my first player of the match award in Tests, very pleased. There wasn’t much help for the Pacers. I kept my plans simple and executed.
“When you pick wickets in conditions like this, you get loads of confidence. Rohit bhai asked me to believe in myself, not take any pressure and enjoy,” Siraj said.
The West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, desperate after losing his team in the first test against India, was happy to see his team batting after 100 overs in the first innings.
“We showed some fight in this game with the bat. Bowling-wise, we can be more disciplined. It was a good comeback from the batters. We lost five wickets yesterday, that wasn’t good. Top-order batting 100 overs is pleasing,” Brathwaite said.
West Indies was bowled out for 255 runs after India’s first innings concluded with 438 runs. India scored quickly to finish at 181 for two in 24 overs.
“We were positive, we had 98 overs on a pitch that was relatively good. It (chase) was on. Unfortunately with the weather, we didn’t get a chance.
“Preparation is important. We need to bat for long periods against good teams. Some countries have club cricket going on,” Kraigg Brathwaite added.
Ahead of the 1st ODI game of the series which is scheduled to play on July 27 in Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, West Indies announced their 15-member ODI squad.
