When I wore my India cap in Melbourne, I thought 'dad should've been here': Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj put on his cap for his debut Test it Melbourne in a highly-successful campaign Down Under, when India registered a memorable 2-1 series win, all he was thinking of was his father, who had passed away a few days ago, thinking his 'dad should've been here'. Siraj had a memorable debut as he claimed 3/37 in the second innings to help India to an eight-wicket win against Australia. The fast bowler would script memorable figures that would witness him claim 13 wickets in the series, out of which five came in the final Test at the iconic Gaba when India breached Australia's almost impenetrable fortress. Siraj would eventually finish as the third-highest wicket-taker of the series from three games with only Pat Cummins and fellow RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood leading the tally ahead of the Indian. That series, however, was a defining moment in Siraj's career given the fact that he lost his dad just ahead of the series. Alongside his family travails, he was also battling with racism and the stringent Covid-19 protocols that were in place, the report on the RCB website said. Siraj opened up about one of the toughest and yet one of the most memorable moments of his life after the series. "It was really tough for me. My dad was ill during the IPL too. But family members hadn't told me that the matter was serious. I got to know about his condition when I landed in Australia," Siraj was quoted as saying by RCB in an article on their official website.

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