Every wicket felt like five wickets, says “impeccable” Siraj after West Indies series

India pacer Mohammed Siraj has said that every wicket that he took in the just-concluded second Test against the West Indies felt like a fifer on an unresponsive pitch.

Siraj took three wickets in the game that India won by seven wickets to complete a 2-0 series domination over the Caribbean outfit here on Tuesday. In the opening Test in Ahmedabad, he picked up seven scalps.

Siraj was named the ‘Impact Player of the Series’ in Team India’s dressing room honours.

“To be honest this series very went well. When we played in Ahmedabad, there was some help for the fast bowlers. In New Delhi, we had to bowl a lot of overs. Every wicket (that I took) felt like five wickets,” Siraj said in a video shared by the BCCI.

“As a fast bowler, when you get rewarded after putting in the efforts you gain a lot of confidence and you also feel happy after winning the Impact Player award in the dressing room,” he added.

Siraj, who has been the cynosure of Indian fast bowling attack for a while now, said Test cricket is his favourite format and promised to keep delivering.

“I feel very proud as a person after any achievement. I will try to continue with such performances because Test cricket is my favourite format,” he said.

“There are so many challenges in it, you have to be on the field the whole day and you have to do it physically and mentally. It’s very different but it also makes me feel proud and have fun,” Siraj added.

India wicketkeeper-batter N Jagadeesan, who announced the honour for Siraj in the change room, termed the fast bowler as “impeccable” for his outstanding commitment.

“Obviously, there have been a lot of performances in this series, great performances, but now it’s just about one guy who has been impeccable throughout this series,” Jagadeesan said.

“(The one) who has a lot of vigour, courage and aggression every time the ball was thrown to him. (Be it) first innings, (or) second innings, (or the) third spell or even for example the wicket that we played on today, he was so good.”

Jagadeesan highlighted Siraj’s on-field attitude as one of the leaders in the camp. “Every time he came on he had the same and more importantly, he was probably the one when there was good effort on the field he was the first one to go and pat everyone on the back and encourage them,” he added.