Sydney: Mohammed Siraj hogged all the limelight on Thursday (January 7) when the images of him crying while India’s national anthem being played in the Sydney Cricket Ground ahead of the first day’s play against Australia went viral. After the day’s play Siraj revealed the reason behind that impromptu burst of emotion.
“I remembered my dad during the national anthem, my dad always wanted me to play Test cricket. If he was there today, he would have seen me playing,” said Siraj during the virtual press conference.
Siraj had lost his father before the Australia tour, but the pacer decided to stay back to fulfill his father’s dream of seeing him play Test cricket for the country. Siraj had struck in the fourth over to hand India an early breakthrough as opener David Warner — returning after missing two Tests due to groin injury — walked back after scoring just five runs.
On a day when the Indian bowlers had to toil hard at the Sydney Cricket Ground, pacer Mohammad Siraj said that team had planned on bowling short balls to Will Pucovski looking at the batsman’s history of being troubled by the short-pitched delivery.
