“When I put my hat on in Melbourne I thought ‘my father should have been here’ – Mohammed Siraj remembers the first Test

A regular part of Team India, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj played a key role in India’s victory over Australia in 2021. He bowls very clearly and has improved over the years.

But it came during his breakthrough Border-Gavaskar Cup, was also his first Test match. But it was the second game of the series in which he debuted. He floated five rooks in that game and earned 13 in the series. It was also held by Royal Challengers Bangalore at IPL 2022. But when Team India landed in Australia, Siraj’s father passed away soon after.

Speaking at the trailer launch of ‘Bandon Mein Tha Dum’, a web series that will air on Voot, Siraj recalled his debut on Test.

“It was really hard for me. My father was also sick during the IPL. But family members hadn’t told me it was serious. When I landed in Australia, I found out about his condition.”

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“Fulfill your father’s dream and make your country proud” – Mohammed Siraj’s mother told him

Muhammed Siraj also expressed his doubts about playing for the national team when there are already senior bowlers on the roster.

“There was also the Covid-19 protocol. We had to quarantine. When we did our practice, I learned of my father’s death. My mother made me strong at that time. He said to me, ‘Make your father’s dream come true and make your country proud’. This was my only motivation. I didn’t even know if I would get a chance to play. There were senior bowlers on the team,” Siraj added.

“I finally got an opportunity in the second Test… When I put my hat on in Melbourne, I thought, ‘Dad should be here’. I got a chance to play for India after Mohammed Shami got injured. I had something in mind where I performed well for India A and swam 8 wickets against Australia A. This gave me the confidence to succeed in my first Test series for India.”

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