In the first Test, Siraj recorded stats of 2/91 in South Africa’s lone innings. However, he came back with six for 15 from nine overs to dismiss the hosts for fifty-five in the first innings as twenty-three wickets dropped on the first day.
Mohammed Siraj is happy to have begun 2024 with career-best Test cricket statistics, but following the first day of the second Test, the Indian bowler was even more happy with himself for having learned from his mistakes in the series opener against South Africa. In the first Test, Siraj recorded stats of 2/91 in South Africa’s lone innings. However, he came back with six for 15 from nine overs to dismiss the hosts for fifty-five in the first innings as twenty-three wickets dropped on the first day. Did he really expect him to show up to bowl twice a day? “Did you think so?” he asked in jest, laughing.
“We also didn’t think.” Though this is cricket, we had raised our feet. You see both wonderful and negative things,” he said in a contemplative tone.
But having had one of his best days in his 23 Test career, he was clearly thrilled.
With a satisfied expression on his face, the amiable Hyderabadi remarked, “You want the New Year to go well.”
“I realized what I had missed in the previous game and wanted to make up for it, so I carried out my intentions as intended. My goal was to target a certain area on a regular basis, and I was rewarded for it. When the play for the day came to a close, Siraj remarked, “Wicket looks quite similar to Centurion.”
What, therefore, did he do that he didn’t do in the previous game? In contrast to the last Test match, he and Jasprit Bumrah bowled in pairs and produced a lot of maidens. The pressure of bowling so many maidens was present. A fast bowler’s eager mind might get muddled when they hear a track as spicy as Newlands, so they need to keep that under control, according to Siraj.
“Bowlers frequently think, ‘Let me try and bowl an outswinger darting from leg to off or get one to bend back from angle, but one should just stick to one line,’ on these wickets when the ball is doing so much.
“Sacks will come automatically if you hit areas; if you try too many things, you may become confused,” he said.
Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul were complimented for their continuous contact.
“The job is made easier when there is a lot of communication between the senior bowler and the wicketkeeper, who can advise you on the correct length.” You can adjust your length when you receive four or five hits.
What then is the optimal score that can be pursued? “I have no idea what will occur on the second day. We still have forty runs to go and we need to see how many we can get before they take the lead, so we need to get them out for as little as possible. We don’t need to look too far ahead of time,” he said.
