"Am I Virat Kohli's Replacement?": Mohammed Siraj Shares Hilarious Story From Debut Test

14.05.2023 - 09:49 sports.ndtv.com

Indian cricket team pacer Mohammed Siraj recalled his Test debut against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and how he was surprised at not given the ball in the first session of the encounter.

Siraj got the chance to play his first Test after experienced pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out due to injury and Virat Kohli had to return to India for the birth of his daughter.

In a recent interaction, Siraj said that he was taken aback and even joked about whether he was Kohli's replacement in the match. "First session toh main bowling kia nahi [I didn't bowl a single over in the first session].

Idhar se pehle Jassi Bhai aur Umesh Bhai ne daale first Ash Bhai aur Jaddu Bhai aa gaye [Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav started the proceedings then Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja got their chances].

cricket India Cricket Team Test am Mohammed Siraj Ajinkya Rahane Australia India Delhi Bangalore

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar on Wednesday reckoned Cheteshwar Pujara could provide valuable insights to his Indian teammates ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia, having played extensively in the English County Championship. With Pujara's knowledge and captaincy experience (at Sussex), his inputs could prove invaluable, especially against Australian batter Steve Smith, who is also a part of his county side.

"He Is Proper Test Match Wicketkeeper": Former India Selector Backs KS Bharat For WTC Final

Former India selector Sarandeep Singh says picking K S Bharat over Ishan Kishan as the wicketkeeper for the World Test Championship final against Australia is a no brainer and he would also choose Umesh Yadav over Shardul Thakur in the playing eleven. In the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, Kishan, who is yet to play Test cricket, can provide the x-factor but Sarandeep feels Bharat walks into the eleven as the frontline wicketkeeper. "KS Bharat for sure. He is a proper Test match wicketkeeper and we saw that against Australia at home, he kept superbly. He has been around for a while and he should get the opportunity," Sarandeep told PTI on Wednesday.

AB de Villiers Picks Favourite Player From IPL 2023. It's Not Shubman Gill or Virat Kohli

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season has seen some top performers emerge and make their mark in the game. The likes of Shubman Gill, Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal have been putting in batting spectacles this season. Though it's Gill who has shone the most among these players, with three centuries to his name, former Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers snubbed both him and his former teammate Kohli as he picked his 'favourite player' from the 16th edition of the league.

Virat Kohli Joins Team India Training Ahead Of WTC Final, Rohit Sharma To Hit Nets From Tuesday

Batting mainstay Virat Kohli joined the national team's training session on Monday at the picturesque Arundel Castle Cricket Club along with left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who seemed to have recovered from left shoulder injury. India will play Australia at the Oval in the one-off Test from June 7 to 11. The BCCI on Monday shared pictures of the members of the team, including Kohli, pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on their official twitter handle. "Team India members begin their preparations for the WTC23 at Arundel Castle Cricket Club," BCCI said in a tweet.

Virat Kohli To The Rescue! Giant Poster Saves Fans In IPL 2023 Final From Rain In Ahmedabad

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad was severely affected by rain on Sunday with the match getting moved to the reserved day on Monday. Although the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium were ready for the highly-anticipated match, they had to face rain at regular intervals and not all parts of the ground were properly covered. As a result, the crowd rushed back into the shade every time it started raining and for some, Virat Kohli turned out to be their unlikely saviour. In pictures going viral on social media, fans can be seen using a huge poster of Kohli to save themselves from the rain as they chanted the ex-India skipper's name.

"Will Have To Deliver...": Ex-BCCI Chief Selector's Firm Message For Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Seniors In World Test Championship Final

Former chairman of the national selection committee MSK Prasad said that it would be important for senior batters to score well if Team India is to win the final of the ICC World Test Championship against Australia, which will be played at The Oval from June 7 onwards. He also said that excessive pressure should not be placed on the shoulders of young rising batter Shubman Gill despite him being in the "form of his life."