Fast Bowler Mohammed Siraj Credits MS Dhoni And Virat Kohli's Pep Talk For His Test Call Up
Chase your dreams and they will come true. That motto is pretty apt for India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj who is living his dream right now. Siraj on Saturday was rewarded with his maiden India Test call-up for the upcoming two-match series agai
Chase your dreams and they will come true. That motto is pretty apt for India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj who is living his dream right now. Siraj on Saturday was rewarded with his maiden India Test call-up for the upcoming two-match series against the West Indies on Saturday.
He was picked after an impressive outing with India A in the recently-concluded quadrangular series featuring Australia A and South Africa A. The 24-year-old claimed 10-wicket hauls against both opponents.
Also Read: On His Debut For India, Mohammed Siraj Breaks Into Tears By The End Of National Anthem
"It is a dream come true for me. I wanted to represent my country in Tests and knew I will be able to impress the selectors someday.
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I am so happy. I have done well for India A recently and had an idea about my selection in the Test team," Siraj told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
Siraj, who has already represented India in the shortest format of the game also revealed how his captain Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped him during the T20I series, which helped him earn a place in the longest format of the game.
¡°When I was selected for T20Is against New Zealand last year, I had a chat with Kohli bhai. I was nervous. He said ¡°Tension mat le, ground pe baat karenge. Bass ready reh kal khelne ke liye¡± (Don¡¯t worry, we will talk on the field. Just be ready for your debut match),".
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¡°When I hit the field, he said... I have seen your game. Just go and bowl the way you have been. Don¡¯t experiment. He took away the pressure. I was delighted after dismissing New Zealand captain Kane Williamson to claim my first international wicket," Siraj, who has played three T20Is so far (against three different nations ¨C New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh), said.
Former India skipper Dhoni is often seen advising and guiding youngsters on the field. One such incident happened with Siraj when he was being taken to the cleaners in his maiden international appearance and Dhoni walked up to him to give him some tips.
"Batsmen ke footwork ko dhyaan se dekh aur fir line aur length change kario (Watch the batsman's footwork closely and then change the line and length accordingly)," Siraj said while recalling the conversation with the 2011 World Cup winning skipper Dhoni.
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¡°His pep talk has helped me take my game to another level," Siraj said.
In the absence of his seniors Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj is eager to make it to the playing eleven in the opening Test against the West Indies, starting October 4 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The second Test will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad from October 12.
¡°I am really excited to wear the white Indian jersey,¡± an excited Siraj said.
¡°I have performed well for India A recently and want to carry forward that momentum against the West Indies," the Hyderabad pacer said.
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The son of an auto-rickshaw driver, Siraj, raised many eyebrows when he was bought for a whopping Rs 2.6 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 auction . His base price was Rs. 20 lakh.
"My father is an auto-rickshaw driver. He has done everything he can to make me a cricketer. I always wanted to make him proud. I am sure, I have. I have seen tough times but got everything that I wanted. I am a proud son,¡± the 24-year-old said.
"I don¡¯t let him drive the auto-rickshaw anymore,¡± the Hyderabad pacer signed off.
