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'Match Will End In 1.5-2 Days' - Mohammed Siraj Warns England Against Bazball In India

image-lrro5nw9Mohammed Siraj (AP Photos)

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has warned England of repercussions if they opt for the infamous Bazball approach in Indian conditions, as he vows to wind up the game in under two days.

India is all set to host England in a high-stakes and much-anticipated five-game Test series starting tomorrow. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, situated in Hyderabad, is all decked up to host the series opener.

Having said that, for Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj, the first Test’s significance is much more significant as he gets to play in front of his home crowd. Siraj began his cricketing journey on the streets of Hyderabad, and after years of hard work and perseverance, the local boy entertained his home crowd on the highest level.

Meanwhile, Siraj responded to Ben Stokes’ plans to use Bazball intent against India and warned the English skipper against it. While speaking to Jiocinema, Siraj opined that Bazball wouldn’t work in Indian conditions.

The subcontinental pitches are unpredictable. The surface might offer a turn on one ball and a seam on the other. Owing to this unpredictable nature, batting freely and aggressively on Indian pitches is much more challenging.

Thus, Mohammed Siraj issued a warning to the visitors. He says if England continues with their Bazball aggressive intent, he is committed to ending the game in under two days and leading his side, India, 1-0 in the five-game Test series.

“If they try to play Bazball in Indian conditions then think the match is likely to end in 1.5-2 days. It is not easy here to hit every ball. The ball turns sometimes, sometimes it stays straight. If they play Bazball here then it is good for us because the match will end quickly”, Siraj said on JioCinema.

Bazball refers to England’s shift from the traditional batting approach in Test cricket. When Brendon McCullum took over as head coach, he and Stokes adopted an aggressive intent to maintain the flow of a Test game similar to that of an ODI or T20I game.

While England achieved enormous success with his new approach, Mohammed Siraj raised doubts about its efficacy in Indian conditions.

Regardless, England has been playing with the Bazball approach for a few years now. Thus, they are unlikely to drop that game plan anytime soon.