BRISBANE: India ace Jasprit Bumrah on Monday praised fellow speedster Mohammed Siraj for his resilience during the third Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia, ongoing here at The Gabba until December 18.
Despite a forgetful first innings for his team, the right-arm pacer was clinical with the ball as he returned brilliant bowling figures of 6/76 in his 28 overs.
Apart from Bumrah, the rest of the Indian bowling attack struggled against the hosts’ batting line-up.
Siraj, who played a key role in guiding India to a historic victory at the same venue in 2021, finished with figures of 2/97 in 23.2 overs.
Despite Siraj’s struggles, Bumrah praised his compatriot for overcoming a physical barrier to continue bowling in the first innings.
“In that game I will give him credit, he had a little problem but he still kept playing and helped the team because I knew if he came in and didn’t play the team would be under pressure,” Bumrah said.
“He has a great attitude and a fighting spirit that the team loves. I personally love it. He is ready to fight and always gives everything for the team.
“In terms of wickets and everything, some days you will bowl well and the wickets will come. And some days, you won’t bowl well, but the wickets will follow. It’s all money in the bank.
“That’s the conversation I had with him: keep focusing on your things and the things you can control. Keep running, keep a smile on your face. You wanted to play Test cricket, you are doing it, your family is very proud of you. You are doing something few have done before.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Bumrah insisted that India’s bowling unit is going through a period of transition.
“We as a team don’t point fingers at each other. We don’t want to get into that mindset,” he said.
“A lot of new players are coming here. It’s not the easiest place to play cricket. The atmosphere is different here, with this wicket being a different challenge.
“As a bowling unit, we are in transition. Therefore, it is my job to help others. I played a little more than them. But again, everyone will learn from it, improve, and eventually find different ways. This is the journey we will have to take.”
After the conclusion of the rainy third day, Australia were on top as they reduced India to 51/4 after setting an imposing total of 445 in the first innings.
