Indian World Cup Winner Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Mohammed Siraj for his outstanding fast bowling performance against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup finals on Sunday. The Right-arm pacer was on a rampage in Colombo picking up his maiden five-wicket haul in the ODI Cricket.
With a blazing spell, the 29-year-old right-arm pacer breached the defences of Sri Lanka has turned the match on his own picking four wickets in the single over at the R Premadasa stadium. Siraj caused havoc with the ball, taking 6/21 in his seven overs to immediately put Sri Lanka in trouble.
Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar hailed Mohammed Siraj for a brilliant spell of fast bowling in the finals against the host nation and He was praised for moving the ball both ways to right- and left-handed batters and reckons that the ball to Dhananjaya de Silva and Dasun Shanaka would trouble any top quality batters in the world.
“The bowling was absolutely top-class. Siraj got six wickets, but Bumrah kept the pressure from the other end as well. Siraj was absolutely outstanding, getting the ball to move both ways, angling the ball across the left-handers, quite smartly, getting the ball to curve away from the right-hander as well”.
“The deliveries he bowled to Dhananjaya and Dasun Shanaka were absolute peaches and they would have troubled the best of batters,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
Siraj is the second bowler in the Asia Cup 50-over format to pick up a 6-wicket haul after Sri Lanka’s Ajanta Mendis in the 2008 Asia Cup and the Indian speedster would be high confidence going into the ODI World Cup on home soil after a dominating performance in the continental final.
Once You Get The Confidence, Your Pace Starts To Increase From The Second Over – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar analyzed the bowling of Mohammed Siraj in the marquee final against Sri Lanka, He believes that the Indian speedster was in good rhythm from the first ball of the game and that he gained confidence after he began to take wickets in his second over of the spell.
“First and foremost, his rhythm was so good from ball one. Fast bowlers take a bit of time in the first over to get confidence. Once you get the confidence, your pace starts to increase from the second over onwards. From ball one, Siraj seemed to be very confident,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
Mohammed Siraj has been India’s most consistent bowler in recent times. The pacer rise in International Cricket has been on the rise since 2022 in all three formats of the game. The right-arm pacer has impressed one and all with his ability to make a difference irrespective of the conditions and could be to the team’s success in the ODI World Cup alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
