Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra praised Mohammed Siraj for his superb bowling performance in the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Siraj delivered some explosive deliveries on Day 3, particularly against Ben Stokes, whom he removed for a golden duck, the first time in the England captain’s Test career.
Siraj returned with superb statistics of 6 for 70 in 19.3 overs as India bowled England out for 407 in their first innings, allowing them to build a massive 180-run lead. His six wickets included two significant breakthroughs, Joe Root and Stokes, off consecutive deliveries. Chopra praised the bowler for delivering such a devastating spell on a batting-friendly pitch.
“You definitely get one thing from Miyan Magic. He always runs in and bowls his heart out. If you want someone who would give his all anytime you give him the ball, Mohammed Siraj is the guy. Mohammed Siraj’s degree of commitment, passion, aggression, and attitude constancy are astounding and touching. “He puts in everything he has,” Chopra stated on his YouTube channel.
“He is not going to stop whether he gets wickets or not, regardless of what is going on at the other end, how many times he is hit, or whether he has a niggle. The guy bowled incredibly once again. It’s a road-like pitch. Siraj has stood out despite the fact that many runs have been scored. “He took six wickets, dismissed Root, and Stokes’ number is now in his back pocket,” he said.
Indian team has been unfair to Siraj: Aakash Chopra
The Agra-born expressed concern over the fiery pacer’s exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad. He admitted that leaving out the Hyderabad-born pacer was unfair and described him as a special player who deserves careful management.
“Just spend a moment of thought. You talk about workload management. This guy has bowled so many overs across three formats in the last two or three years that you say, take a bow, and despite that, we hadn’t kept him in the Champions Trophy team. I was hurt because I felt we have been unfair to Siraj,” Chopra conceded.
“He didn’t have luck at Headingley, but he toiled hard. You need a little luck for catches down the leg. This time, there was luck, and a lot of heart, grit, and resolve. Miyan Magic is a special player. He needs to be handled carefully,” he added.
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