India vs New Zealand 2023

‘Rohit Sharma was searching for someone…’- Former India cricketer lauds Mohammed Siraj for his bowling performance at Hyderabad

India faced off with New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series in Hyderabad on January 18, Wednesday. India scored 349-8 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Shubman Gill’s double hundred. India were cruising in the chase when they had New Zealand at 131-6 but Michael Bracewell played a superb innings of 140 off 78 balls with 12 fours and 10 sixes. India eventually won the game by 12 runs.

Mohammed Siraj was the wrecker-in-chief against New Zealand with the ball for India as he picked up 4-46 in his 10 overs at his home ground. Mohammad Kaif lauded Siraj for getting India vital breakthroughs when the Men in Blue were under pressure.

“He has huge courage because of the pressure under which he came to bowl, it was an extremely important moment when he picked up two wickets in an over. Rohit Sharma was searching for someone who could put his hand up, that Bumrah is not there, but he didn’t get any bowler in the death overs,” Kaif said in a post-match interaction on Star Sports.

Forget about skill, you need courage here – Mohammad Kaif

The former India cricketer explained Siraj’s mindset with the ball and also said that Bracewell and Mitchell Santner were applying pressure on India with their counter-attacking strokes. “It was an old and slightly wet ball. Forget about skill, you need courage here where nothing was happening with the ball, Bracewell and Santner were hitting one six after another and it was a pressure situation,” he added.

Siraj gave away just four runs in the 42nd over of the New Zealand innings. He then conceded 11 runs in the 44th over but he stormed back in his final over by scalping two wickets to change the momentum of the game for India. The right-arm fast bowler made good use of the bouncer on a placid track to get important wickets for his side.

“You might be in great form but when you run with the ball, there are doubts whether you should bowl yorkers or slower balls. There he bowled a bouncer and trapped Santner. He picked up three big wickets with bouncers.” Kaif added. He also went on to say that an alteration in Siraj’s game plan gave him the best results. He said that the 28-year-old used the bouncer after he quickly noticed that full-length balls were not working on the Hyderabad pitch.