Mohammed Siraj revealed that he was devastated for a long time following his dismissal during India’s run chase in the third Test of the ongoing five-match series against England. Siraj fought courageously alongside Ravindra Jadeja, but was dismissed for only four runs despite spending a significant amount of time at the crease, giving England a close 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead.
He also expressed his sympathy for Jadeja (61* off 181) and Jasprit Bumrah (5 off 54), both of whom had fought valiantly in the middle to bring the team closer to the finish line, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Siraj’s defence off Bashir ended up trickling down to the wickets, hitting the bails with enough force to dislodge them.
“I felt terrible for a long time. I’m an emotional person. If we had won, we may have been ahead 1-2. Jaddu bhai and Bumrah bhai both performed quite well. But now we, the lower-order hitters, are batting in the nets,”
Siraj said during the pre-match press conference in Manchester before the fourth Test.
The Hyderabad native also discussed his workload management and how he has and would continue to give his all while representing the country. He also believes that donning the Indian jersey on the field is his greatest motivation, and he is prepared to bare his heart on his sleeves regardless of the outcome of the game.
“God has kept me in good health.” I want to make the most of my opportunities and play in as many games as possible for my country. The most motivating factor for me to play for my country is the opportunity to represent it. I want to offer my all in life. I don’t want to go to bed feeling like I missed something on the pitch. “I don’t want to have regrets about not being able to give my all on the pitch, regardless of the outcome,” he said.
India went down at Lord’s despite a determined resistance posed by the lower middle-order. They will be keen on not ending up in a similar position and make a comeback into the series. The fourth Test is scheduled to get underway on Wednesday, July 23.
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