England appeared to make a solid comeback in the first innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham as both Harry Brook and Jamie Smith stepped up to form a 303-run partnership. But Mohammed Siraj proved to be India’s game-changer, he wrecked havoc on field and took 6-wickets to stop England from chasing the set target.
Siraj was the standout performer and took the charge for India’s pace attack in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. Speaking to JioHotstar after the stumps, Siraj opened up about the responsibility and his feeling after taking the first five-wicket haul in England.
“Akash Deep is playing just his 3rd or 4th Test match. The same is the case with Prasidh Krishna. I have played 38 Tests. My only aim was to deliver and bowl consistent line and lengths. I had almost 600 runs on my board. So, I also wanted to try this. But my only aim was to hold the ball as much as I could. If the pressure builds, it would have been great for us,” said Siraj.
“I love the responsibility. I love a challenge. Because I have seen a lot of challenges in life. And I have come from there. So, I like challenges. And when responsibility comes to me, then I take that thing very well. So, I like it when responsibility comes to me,” he added.
“We are very far ahead. But our plan is to make as many runs as possible on the board. Their mindset is attacking. So we want to get as many runs as possible. It’s good for the bowlers as well,” said Siraj.
“Day by day, the pitch has been slowing down. I didn’t feel anything. If you bowl at one place, once the run start leaking, it’s very difficult to stop. Patience is very important here,” he added.
“It’s unbelievable, because I’ve been waiting for a year to get a five-wicket haul. I was always stuck at 4. The bowling was so good, but I wasn’t getting a five-wicket haul. So, this moment is very special for me. And in England, I didn’t get a fifer. So, these 6 wickets are very special for me,” said Siraj.
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“The wicket was very slow. Because, when you get a responsibility and I had a lot of experience. So, my only aim was that I wouldn’t try too much from my end. If I get a wicket from an area, it gives a lot of confidence to the team, and the atmosphere also changes,” he added.
