India vs Australia: 'It wasn't the movement, it was his talent,' Sachin Tendulkar impressed with India pacer's effort
India vs Australia: The fast bowler's effort was noticed and lauded by none other that former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who feels the fast bowler has an uncanny ability to produce challenging deliveries due to the many ways he has of holding the seam.
India’s bowlers had a long day on the field on Day 1 of the fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane, but the way they came back on the second day, bowling Australia all out for 369 was a pretty commendable effort. Australia, resuming their innings on 274/5, lost their last five wickets for 95 runs with Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar and T Natarajan running through their lower-middle order and finishing with three wickets apiece.
While the three bowlers combined to pick nine wickets, the other wicket went to Mohammed Siraj, who in fact picked up Australia’s first when he had David Warner out caught behind in the first over of the Test. Siraj bowled his heart out and even though his figures read 1/77, the fast bowler, playing his third Test, troubled the Australian batsmen with his cutters and outswings.
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Siraj's effort was noticed and lauded by none other that former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who feels the fast bowler has an uncanny ability to produce challenging deliveries due to the many ways he has of holding the seam.
"When Mohammad Siraj was bowling, I heard a couple of guys say, 'the ball hit the crack and nipped back,' something which I observed was completely different. Siraj while bowling the out-swinger, would get his fingers behind the ball, and release the ball. The seam is pointing towards first slip or sometimes towards second slip," Tendulkar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
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Siraj has had a fine series since his debut in Melbourne, where he returned figures of 2/40 and 3/37. In the Sydney Test which ended in a draw, he grabbed 1/67 and 1/90 but had a fine economy rate. Suddenly, from being a debutant, Siraj finds himself the leader of the Indian attack at the Gabba and the way he bowled was highly impressive, reckons Tendulkar.
"When he wanted to bowl the in-cutter which moves off the seam, then he would keep the shine on the off-side. He would then go cross-seam. That's when the commentators also noticed that it was a scrambled seam. So I don't think the movement was off the crack, but it was Siraj's talent, his ability to bowl those in-cutters that made it happen," the former India captain added.