Dubai: In the absence of bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj has stood up for the team to fill the gap and has done well in the first two matches against Zimbabwe.
Mohammed Siraj underlined hitting consistent areas as the key to his success in the ongoing ODI series in Zimbabwe after another tight spell from him played a part in India beating Zimbabwe and going 2-0 up in the series.
Siraj, who finished with figures of 1/16 in eight overs in the second ODI, had also impressed in the first with his control.
“In West Indies and England also I bowled well, my rhythm was good in the first match as well, so my plan was to hit an area consistently without worrying whether I will get wickets or not,” Siraj said.
A non-regular in the limited-overs setup, Siraj played a big role in helping India control the scoring rate early on.
“I just kept belief on myself, because ups and downs are part of everyone’s life, so I just kept belief that I can do it no matter if it is a white ball or red ball.
“So just wanted to keep hitting the right areas and bowl dot balls to build up pressure on the opposition. Starting with the new ball, I went for wickets a few times but as you know white ball doesn’t swing much, so I was planning to consistently hit one area and bowl maiden overs.”
Siraj bowled as many as four maidens in the two ODIs so far in Harare, and the pressure he has applied from one end has helped yield wickets at the other.
Siraj also highlighted the role of VVS Laxman, who is acting as the head coach on this tour in Rahul Dravid’s absence.
“Laxman sir was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad [in the IPL] when I was selected for the first time. He understands my skills and gives me a lot of confidence and it feels good when a coach is around.”
Courtesy:ICC