Mohammed Siraj came back well after leaking boundaries against Afghanistan with two crucial wickets against Pakistan in Ahmedabad. Siraj dismissed the centurion of Pakistan's record-breaking run chase Abdullah Shafique and skipper Babar Azam to bowl out arch-rivals for 191.
In the post-match presentation, one of the journalists referenced the expensive spell against Afghanistan where he conceded 76 runs to which he replied, “Just because you had an off day doesn’t mean that you are a bad bowler. I have faith in myself, and I am happy with the way I bowled here. I am not a bad bowler.”
Siraj was also asked about the delivery that got rid of Babar and led to Pakistan losing eight wickets for just 36 runs.
“At that point Pakistan was playing well, and they had a good partnership. It is just that he (Babar) played back, and it wasn’t as if the ball kept low. It had decent bounce, but it skidded a bit and got him out,” the 29-year-old pacer said.
Siraj was also asked whether he had dreamt of playing in World Cup in his early days, especially a high-octane game between India and Pakistan.
"No sir, to be honest I never thought that I will play World Cup and that too because from where I had come. But now I am playing so it is a matter of achievement for me,” he said.
"And India and Pakistan are known for their high-intensity and high-pressure games. But today, I saw that and I felt good."
Siraj talked about bowling in partnerships to create pressure on the batters. He lauded his teammates for performing well as a unit.
"You see, our bowling unit is doing so well from the last three matches. It's not like only one person is performing. Overall, the bowling unit is performing. If you don't get a wicket, you're building pressure and putting in a dot ball.
"In this, the team will get the success and the team will get the help. When Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) bowls the ball - you can see what line is better on the wicket. When you're on the third man and the final leg, you get to see the line and get some information from the keeper that this line is better on the wicket. So, it becomes easier to execute," he explained.
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