Edited By: Amrit Santlani
Last Updated: January 16, 2023, 12:43 p.m
Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum]India
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohd Siraj (Twitter Image)
Mohammed Siraj picked up 4 wickets against Sri Lanka in the 3rd ODI, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer was full of praise for Mohammed Siraj after the youngster helped the Men in Blue register an emphatic 317-run win over Sri Lanka in the third ODI at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15.
Jaffer compared Siraj to Jasprit Bumrah, stating that the former’s performances have been such that the Indian side is not feeling the absence of Bumrah.
Siraj, 28, has been in sublime form of late, and he picked up four wickets in the final ODI of the series as the home side completed a 3-0 clean sweep against Dasun Shanaka’s men.
The young pacer was India’s leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket in the year 2022, and he has kicked off 2023 on a similar note.
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Siraj rattled the Sri Lanka top order, claiming four of the first five wickets as the visitors were chasing 391, but were folded for a paltry 73 runs.
Having dismissed the likes of Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Nuwanidu Fernando, and Wanindu Hasaranga, Jaffer was mighty pleased with the Hyderabad pacer’s exploits in white-ball cricket of late.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer said, “You can feel the progress he has made as a white-ball bowler. His red-ball bowling is top notch, but the way he has improved in white-ball cricket in the last year or so is amazing.”
“In a way, you don’t miss Bumrah when Siraj is bowling like that. When Bumrah is not being missed, you can understand how much value Siraj brings in,” he added.
Siraj picked up nine wickets in three matches, finishing the ODI series as the leading wicket-taker. Jaffer meanwhile lauded the youngster’s ability to swing the ball both ways, providing wickets at crucial junctures of matches.
“Siraj has been magnificent. He’s very aggressive, always at the batsmen. When things are not happening, he is trying to make some inroads,” Jaffer stated further.
“Phenomenal, getting the batters out with the new ball is not easy. The way he makes the ball talk, swinging it both ways, pretty skillful stuff from Siraj,” added the veteran.
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