Pacer Mohammed Siraj excelled in India’s 12-run victory against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series on Wednesday at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. It was undoubtedly a memorable game for the 28-year-old as he was playing his first-ever international match in front of his home crowd. Living up to the expectations, Siraj was the pick of the Indian bowlers, with four wickets under his belt.
During the encounter, a few of his friends and family members, including his mother, marked their presence in the stands to watch him live. After the match was completed, Siraj expressed his feelings about performing in front of the local people while speaking in the post-match show. A clip of the same was shared by the BCCI on their official Twitter.
A perfect and eventful day for @mdsirajofficial, who played his first international game at his home ground and had his family watching him sparkle for #TeamIndia with the ball 👏🏾👏🏾
Watch as his friends and family share their thoughts 🤗 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/AXPVWbxs9z
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2023
Some childhood friends of Siraj, with whom he used to play tennis-ball cricket, were featured in a brief conversation and shared their thoughts. According to them, it was a dream for the Hyderabad boy to play in the Blue jersey in front of the local crowd. The opportunity finally arrived almost six years after his debut for Team India. “Siraj made his debut for India in 2017. But, he never played in Hyderabad, representing India. So, we are excited, honoured and very proud. We woke up early in the morning and reached the ground as we did not want to miss a single second of the match,” one of them revealed.
Apart from his mother Shabana Begum, Siraj’s grandmother, aunt, maternal uncle and elder brother were also present at the stadium. In the video, they can be spotted cheering for him and celebrating each of his wickets emphatically. Begum, overwhelmed by his son’s top-notch performance, noted, “I want to thank Allah and wish my son (Siraj) can continue shining for India. I hope he can continue his performances and make it to the World Cup.”
Coming to the match, India posted a total of 349, powered by Subhman Gill’s explosive 208 run-knock in the first innings. When it was time for India to bowl, Siraj took charge of the new ball and got rid of New Zealand opener Devon Conway early in the chase. Then, the right-arm quick scythed through the Kiwi middle order, sending off skipper Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner. The last of his commendable four-fer saw Henry Shipley heading back to the pavilion for a golden duck.
Siraj has become a crucial component for India in all three formats. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 50-over format last year and his form continues this year too. In 2023, he has appeared in four games and has scalped 13 wickets so far.
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