Xtra Time Web Desk: Team India Head Coach Ravi Shastri on Friday picked Md Siraj as the ‘find of the Australian tour’. The fast bowler from Hyderabad came out with flying colours overcoming personal loss, racial slur against him to emerge as a successful bowler. He lost his father just before the start of the series while he was in Australia. But the fast bowler decided not to return back home to attend the last rites of his father. He stayed back to live his father’s dream of seeing him play for the country.
An injury to Mohammed Shami in the first test at Adelaide saw Siraj getting an opportunity in the Indian squad for the Boxing Day Test. In the third test at Sydney, Siraj was subject to racial slurs from a section of the crowd but that did not deter him to stay focused in his job. Siraj led the Indian pace bowling attack in the fourth and final test at Gabba as Jasprit Bumrah was not available due to a groin injury. He picked 13 wickets from the three test matches including a maiden five-for in India’s epic 3-wicket win.
Two days after India’s epic 2-1 series win versus Australia in their own backyard, head coach Ravi Shastri was all praise for Siraj. The Head Coach of the Indian team tweeted, “Find of the tour for shoring up the bowling attack the way he did – Mohd Siraj. He fought through personal loss, racial remarks and channelised them to find home in the team huddle.”