Siraj strikes while the iron is hot
"Maza aagya aapko ground me dekh kar, ekdam maut daal diye miya!'' India's fielding coach R Sridhar signed off his candid chat with fellow statesman Mohammed Siraj in typical Hyderabadi jargon. It was a fervently raw yet sincere endorsement to the debutant's two-wicket haul in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. Besides ushering Siraj into a barrel of laughs, the wisecrack set the seal of approval on a couple of random things.
For starters, India's discovery of a gun incumbent in the wake of an injury attack on their frontline speed merchants. Next, a fitting validation to their domestic setup and array of A tours which allows fringe players enough miles under their legs to be game ready come the moment of truth. Last but not the least, sugarcoated adjectives in English can try as hard as they might but nothing beats the kindred jest of India's mother tongue.
If his maiden morning in white flannels was a tantalizing trailer of the skills Siraj had acquired over the years, the second innings proved a red-carpet screening in the colosseum of international cricket. With three scalps at a miserly economy of 1.7, he spattered the finishing touches to a fairytale of a debut as India sprang back to life following the despicable dice with death in Adelaide.
The method to Siraj's magic was - control, which sounds a tad ironical since it is supposed to be the inherent chink in his armour. Spare for the early jitters when he got his first bite at the cherry post lunch on day one, the wiry quick dealt a long-lasting lesson in discipline. He stuck to the fourth stump channel with such unerring precision that would put laser-guided jet missiles to shame. The dismissal of Cameron Green in the first innings and Travis Head in the second serve for points in case where the batsman gave way in the first-blink duel as Siraj asked some serious questions of their technique and temperament. The surface bore a passing resemblance to a concrete turf for the better part of the four days and if not for the rungs of patience and penetration in Siraj's ladder, India would have struggled to climb the towering minarets of glory.
"Siraj has shown that he can bowl with discipline. It's really difficult for debutants to bowl with discipline but that's where I think the first-class experience comes in handy," skipper Ajinkya Rahane was lavish in praise for India's latest pace sensation. "Character was important for us, especially after losing Umesh in the second innings," he added, referring to the calf niggle suffered by pacer Umesh Yadav in the middle of a feisty spell that left Siraj with imposing boots to fill. And boy did they fit him like a breeze!
An Australian legend and one of the shrewdest minds going around in the game, Ricky Ponting too spoke highly of Siraj, the new kid on the block. "I've liked his aggression, he's been willing to use his short ball. I thought he might have his challenges here once the ball got a bit older but he's bowled really well. His discipline has been good, his length has been really good," said Ponting. "In fact, looking at him today, he has actually looked a better bowler than Umesh Yadav as far as I'm concerned." He proclaimed.
Siraj's fifer will go down in history as the fifth-best performance by an Indian bowler while making his debut in an away Test. He is only second to Lasith Malinga in the list of premier match figures for overseas debutants in Australia. And those who feasted their eyes on the live broadcast would know that each of these five jackpots was celebrated with an ear-to-ear smile plastered on his face. A smile which was, if anything, a huge sigh of relief that let loose with it the weight of a thousand emotions buried beneath. The sheer ecstasy of his elbow grease bearing fruit at last, of a burden lifting off the chest. Of potential realized and expectations fulfilled. Of a billion hearts won, of a father made proud in the heavenly abode.
Siraj has hit the ground sprinting but the path ahead must be tread with caution. Success breeds complacency and India can afford anything but with the series dangling in unclaimed territory. The scans specified that Yadav will need a breather to recuperate and is thus rendered unavailable for the third Test. Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments in the Indian camp said that he may be good to go for the fourth Test. "His scans have come in and he will miss the third Test as well. He will now look at making a return for the last game of the series as we have more than two weeks to go before we play the final game from January 15," the official informed.
Queried on how that places the bowling unit, the source pointed towards T Natarajan, who grabbed his opportunities with both hands in the white-ball leg of the tour, as the potential replacement. "With limited options available, the team management can ask for Natarajan to be added to the squad," the source clarified.
India are already not playing with a full deck of cards with seasoned pros Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma ruled out injured and a fresh scar has been now needled in the form of Yadav's twitch. They cannot, at any stretch of the imagination, take the field with two speedsters in tow given the benign tracks at their disposal. Hence, either of Natarajan, Navdeep Saini or Shardul Thakur will have to roll up their sleeves and equip himself as the understudy for Yadav. Though whoever cracks the nod amongst them will have to look no farther than Siraj to draw inspiration as to how to trumpet your arrival on the big stage.
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