He did pick just one wic
Since 2019 World Cup, India picked 10 wickets in the powerplay at an average of over 120. Picking wickets with the new ball ahs been one of the major concerns for India in the ODI format. And although India picked only one wicket in the first ODI against Kieron Pollard’s men, they also registered 49 dot balls during that phase. And young Mohammed Siraj played a key role in that.
He dismissed Shai Hope in just the third over of the match and finished the powerplay with figures of 5-2-13-1.
Impressed with his commitment and energy through each of his deliveries, Gavaskar, in conversation with Star Sports, was effusive in his praise for Siraj.
“He was very good. And he keeps on improving. He has always been a whole-hearted bowler. You see the first ball that he bowls and the last ball that he bowls at the end of the day, he is running in with the same energy. That is what every captain is looking for. Somebody who is going to give 100 per cent every single time,” he said.
The legendary cricketer then dissected Siraj’s comeback in that third over where he was smashed for two consecutive boundaries before he dished out that scrambled-seam delivery that took the inside edge of the bat and rattled against the stumps.
“You can see that…the first two boundaries that were hit of him were deliveries where he was trying to move away. He had two slips in position so the thinking was good…if the ball was bouncing a little more the catch would go to the second slip. Then he bowled the scrambled seam delivery and got the batsman out. He is a thinking bowler,” he added.
Gavaskar feels that Siraj will only get better at it the more he bowls alongside the senior Indian pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
“The more he is going to bowl along with Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Shami, who are both not here… and both stand at mid-off and mid-on when he is bowling and all the time having a word with him. That is such a plus for a young bowler to have two top bowlers talking to him just about every delivery. He is just going to get better and better.”
ket for India in the series opener against West Indies on Sunday, but it was enough to impress former India captain Sunil Gavaskar who praised the youngster, hailing him as a “whole-hearted and thinking” bowler.
