Hyderabad: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has stated that if England sticks to their approach of adopting aggressive cricket in the upcoming series against India the match will be over within two days ahead of the series opener in Hyderabad.
India will play a five-match Test series against the English side and there has been a lot of talk about whether England will stick to their attacking template in this series as well. With the pitches likely to assist spinners, the stroke-making wouldn't be much easier. Pondering whether the visiting team will take a brave route of playing aerial strokes, Siraj opined that the fixture will be over very soon if Ben Stokes and Co. attempt to do so.
"If England play Bazball in Indian conditions, the match may get over within a day and a half or two. It’s not easy to hit every time here as the ball turns sometimes and straightens on other occasions. So, I think it’ll be difficult to see Bazball here. But if they play it, it’ll be good for us as the match may get over quickly," Siraj told Jio Cinema.
The pace department of the team will comprise Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan and Jasprit Bumrah for the first two Tests. Siraj has taken 68 Test wickets so far in his career and has emerged as one of the mainstays in the Indian pace unit. The right-handed pacer made his debut in the red-ball cricket against Australia in 2020. It was an emotional debut for him as his father had passed away when he was in quarantine in Australia.
Reflecting on his first Test game, he revealed that he had to go through an emotional turmoil before the fixture.
"It was a difficult time for me because my father had passed away. No one could come and meet me because we were in quarantine. I was alone. That was the most difficult phase for me. Gradually, I spoke to my family and consoled myself. It was also my dad’s dream that I play for India. I spoke to my mom, and she said I should focus on playing and fulfil my dad’s dream. I didn’t know whether I would get a chance to play because we had other fast bowlers in the side," he added.
"I didn’t play the first match and made my debut in the second. The Test cap has a different value. There’s a different level of respect for Test cricket. So, making my Test debut at Melbourne, the biggest ground in the world, in a Boxing Day Test, I thought my dad would have been so happy. Somewhere, his blessings were there with me."
The first Test of the series will commence from January 25 in Hyderabad.
Read More
