Mohammed Siraj Lauds England Star's Bowling Against India: 'Hats Off To Him'

News18

3 days ago

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Mohammed Siraj praised Ben Stokes' impactful 24-over bowling in the Lord's Test, while emphasizing his own commitment to giving 100 percent for India out of national pride.
Mohammed Siraj has tipped his hat to England captain Ben Stokes for his energetic spells against India in the Lord's Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy last week. Siraj said he 'admired' the effort from Stokes and how he tilted a balanced game in his side's favor, saying he, too, strives to do the best for India.
Stokes, who has had to deal with big spells of injury over the last few years, bowled a whopping 24 overs in the final innings of the Test, eight more than the second-best. He took three key wickets, nightwatchman Akash Deep, the well-set KL Rahul, and the shrewd-in-defense 10th man Jasprit Bumrah.
Later, he said that 'nothing could stop me' when he was that fired up for his team. It drew praise from India, too, especially from Irfan Pathan, who said the visiting pacers were falling short in comparison.
'I admire that kind of effort," Siraj said in the pre-match press conference when asked about Stokes. 'Bowling 10-over spells isn't easy. Hats off to him. The match was on a knife's edge, and his spell made the difference. As a bowler, I just aim to give my best for the team and pick wickets early," he added.
The pacer was also reminded of his own workhorse characteristics. Siraj has bowled 109 overs in this series, the most among Indian pacers, which have ranged from brilliant to underwhelming but have never been short of effort. He's the only pacer in the team to feature in all three Tests as well.
'Touchwood, I've been built that way," Siraj said. 'Workload is one thing, and it goes in the book that Siraj has bowled this many overs, but for me, it is just another opportunity. I want to do well and want to help win matches for the country. I want to play as many matches as I can, and all I want is to give my 100 percent. That when I go to bed at night, I shouldn't feel I could have done more, no matter the results," he added.
'It's all about the motivation of playing for my country. I represent India, and that gives me the strength. I want to ensure that I give 100% on the field so I can sleep peacefully at night without regrets. The result doesn't matter as much as knowing that I gave my all. That's my mindset every time I step onto the field," he further said.
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