Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has had a tough Test series as he has not looked in good rhythm. However, he was at his best on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test in Australia’s second innings in Melbourne.
Siraj looked at the ball with great rhythm right from the start. While Marnus Labuschagne and Pat Cummins built a good partnership for Australia, Siraj provided the breakthrough India needed at that time.
It was a great length ball outside off stump and it came back sharply to hit Labuschagne on the back foot pad cover. Umpire Michael Gough gave it after a huge appeal from the Indian players. But Marnus Labuschagne decided to review.
The ball hit Labuschagne a little high, but ball tracking showed that the ball clipped the top of middle stump. It was enough for the judge to stick to his original decision. Mohammed Siraj stepped up after taking the wicket and mimicked the way Australian Sam Constas interacted with the crowd.
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Watch: Mohammed Sirac boosts after trapping Marnus Labuschagne ahead
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Siraj catches Labuschagne off guard! Third gate for DSP Sahab 🫡#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 4th Test, 4th Day | LIVE NOW! | #Toughest Competition #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/i3eMomntZl
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 29, 2024
In India’s first innings of the match, young debutant Sam Konstas had a similar celebration as he engaged the crowd. Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah also had a similar celebration when he took the wicket of Sam Constas.
The fight between Marnus Labuschagne and Mohammed Siraj
It has been a high-tension series so far with players and fans from both teams engaged in individual battles. Mohammed Siraj and Marnus Labuschagne faced each other many times in the previous Test as well.
It was Siraj’s third wicket of the day and one of his best in the series. He hasn’t been at his best this series and has been out of rhythm. However, Mohammed Siraj came back with a bang and provided perfect company for Jasprit Bumrah.
Mohammed Siraj in good rhythm
Siraj’s tempo was also high, which means he was in good rhythm. While Siraj looked good with the ball, Bumrah continued to impress with his exceptional skills and wicketkeeping quality.
In the series, there were various incidents on the field when the players stood in each other’s faces to break their concentration. Virat Kohli’s shoulder barge with Sam Konstas caused a lot of controversy and the Australian crowd even booed him for his actions.
Not just the crowd, the Australian media also used words like “clown” for Kohli, who was heavily criticized by former Indian cricketers.
