On the second consecutive occasion, the Indian team lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, securing a memorable 2-1 victory in the series. No one predicted that the team would be bundled out for just 36 runs in the second innings. After the setback, the nature of courage the Indian team showed to go on and win the series is what made the assignment ultra special.
Mohammed Siraj, India’s leading wicket-taker from the Australia series, narrated how head coach Ravi Shastri motivated the team after the 36 all-out debacle.
“Ravi Shastri said that 36 all-out happens only once in cricket, it will never happen again. The team atmosphere was brilliant. I know Arun sir since my domestic days, his role has been very important in my career. He knew what I could do. Ajinkya Rahane trusted me and I stood up to his trust. I enjoyed a lot,” Siraj said at Sports Today.
Injuries continued to pile up in the Indian team, with the likes of Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and many others missing one or more matches. The situation saw Siraj, the man who had made his Test debut in Melbourne, become the leader of the pace attack in Brisbane as the most-experienced speedster.
Admitting that it was a huge challenge to don the senior pacer’s hat, Siraj further shared his strategy at the Gabba that saw him bag his maiden fifer.
