Ahmedabad: India showcased a strong performance on the first day of the inaugural Test match against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which began on October 2. India opted to bowl first and successfully dismissed the West Indies for a mere 162 runs in their first innings.
Mohammed Siraj emerged as the standout bowler, claiming four wickets. He was well supported by Jasprit Bumrah, who took three wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar contributed with two and one wicket, respectively.
Following the day’s play, Siraj expressed his satisfaction with the team’s bowling display and the conditions of the pitch. “We got a very good start with the ball. You don’t expect to get green tops in India too often. We got one here, so I was very excited,” he stated. He further noted a similar seam-friendly pitch experience from a match against New Zealand in Bengaluru last year, emphasizing his enjoyment of the current conditions.
In addition, Siraj elaborated on the variations in his bowling, crediting his success in international cricket to the wobble seam delivery. “In 2018, I had a natural in-swinger. When the in-swingers stopped, the out-swingers started automatically. Then I started practicing the wobble seam delivery and grew confident about it. Wobble seam has given me a lot of success in international cricket. I’ve realized this is an important weapon for me. When the out-swinger doesn’t work, I have the wobble seam delivery,” he explained.