Mohammed Siraj on Saturday made a sensational return to Test cricket with a brilliant spell of pace bowling on Day 2 of the second Test against New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. India won the Test by 372 runs on Monday to clinch the series 1-0. Full Scorecard | Cricket News
On a day New Zealand's Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test innings, Siraj led India's reply with an early burst, which resulted in three wickets (3/14) for the right-arm pacer.
Siraj, who had split his webbing during the first T20 International against New Zealand in Jaipur, replaced injured Ishant Sharma in the second match.
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And he didn't take long to make his presence felt by removing Kiwi opener Will Young with the first ball of the fourth over, courtesy of a fine catch at second slip by returning skipper Virat Kohli. He then make it two five balls later as New Zealand's stand-in skipper Tom Latham found Shreyas Iyer at deep square leg.
But the best was yet to come.
The 27-year-old from Hyderabad then cleaned up veteran Kiwi batter Ross Taylor with a beauty in the sixth over. Watch it here:
After the second day's play, Siraj termed the delivery to get Taylor's wicket as a dream ball and also revealed how India planned it.
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"We had set the field for an inswing delivery and was aiming to hit the pads but the way I was building my rhythm, I thought why not bowl an outswing. It was a dream delivery for any fast bowler," Siraj said.
Surprisingly, Siraj was given only four overs by Kohli. But the pacer had done his job as India eventually dismissed New Zealand for 62 in their first innings.
"I knew I will get 3-4 overs of spell and wanted to bowl with full intensity," he added.
At the close of play of Day 2, India were 69/0 (21) with first innings hero Mayank Agarwal unbeaten on 38. Cheteshwar Pujara, promoted to open the innings, was on 29. Regular opener Shubman Gill sustained an injury on his right elbow while fielding in the first innings. He was hit by a shot from Henry Nicholls.
