Mohammed Siraj is known to wear his heart on his sleeve. The fast bowler on the Indian cricket team has several times drawn attention by publicly expressing emotion. But now, his restrained gesture of putting a left-hand finger on his lips after claiming a wicket has caught public eye.
“It’s just his way of celebrating after taking a wicket I would say,” Arjun Yadav, who was his U-23 coach, says. “It’s just a message to all the people who did not believe in his ability, and to silence his critics,” the son of former Indian spinner and ex-BCCI president Shivlal Yadav adds.
In the last Test, Siraj was able to grab four wickets in each innings. Had he got one more in either innings, his name would have been up on the Honours Board at Lord’s.
“Of course, it is a chance he missed, but I am sure Siraj will be happy, as his four wickets in the second innings gave the Indian team victory. I know him well, and he believes team victory comes over all personal goals and achievements,” says Yadav, signing off.
