Mohammed Siraj is taking wickets, and his new manner of celebration has an underlying message to all of his detractors, telling them to just shut up. Siraj was the standout of the Indian bowlers in his first appearance at Lord’s, taking four wickets and being questioned about his “finger on lips” gesture after each wicket. What’s the backstory, then? “This storey (celebration) is for the haters (critics) who used to say things like he can’t do this and can’t do that about me. So I’m just going to let my ball do the talking, and this is my new form of celebration,” Siraj remarked at a virtual post-day press conference following the third day of play in the second Test.
India scored 364 in the first innings thanks to KL Rahul’s brilliant 129, while England skipper Joe Root hit an unbroken 180 to help England post 391 in the first essay and establish a 27-run lead.
During the pre-lunch session on the third day, a bottle cork was thrown at Rahul by spectators, but Siraj said he was ignorant of it. “I didn’t notice what happened,” he claimed, adding that “nothing (offensive) was shouted by the public.”
The fast bowlers’ strategy, he explained, was to stay consistent and bowl in one area. In these situations, he also stressed the necessity of four fast bowlers.
“It was critical (to play with a fourth fast bowler) since we had already taken three wickets and our fast bowlers had been efficient and consistent in one area.”
“Fast bowlers play a vital role in England because when you arrive to England, you want to try new things, but our objective here was to remain consistent and bowl in one spot,” he explained.