I worked hard during lockdown: Siraj

Then there was “Virat Kohli bhai who backed me while I was playing whiteball cricket. As you know the chances for bowlers are rare in T20s and the 2018 IPL was a bad season for me, but he kept encouraging me. At the IPL last year, I got to learn quite a bit from Dale Steyn (Royal Challengers Bangalore’s South African pacer). All these players have contributed to my career,” he said.

“Then there are the fans who keep egging me on. I thank them too for all their good wishes,” Siraj added.

There’s no substitute for hardwork, Siraj says. “I worked hard during the lockdown as well. This was an important season for me and it turned out well,” he said.

Speaking about competition at the highest level, Siraj said: “There was pressure but I just wanted to go out and give my best. It’s time to relax now, only a bit though. For I will continue to work hard as I want to keep playing for the country as long as I can.”

Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah faced racial abuse from the spectators during the third Test in Sydney, forcing the Indian team management to lodge an official complaint with the match referee.

“Those chants from the crowd made me mentally strong. The case is going on, let’s see whether I get justice or not. My job was to report the incident to the captain and I did. The onfield umpires offered us to leave the game but (captain Ajinkya) Rahane bhai said we won’t. We did no mistake, so we will play,” he explained.

Siraj refused to be drawn into the captaincy comparision between Kohli and Rahane. “Both are good captains,” he said.

The pacer picked the dismissal of Marnus Labuschange in the second innings of fourth Test first in Brisbane as his favourite. “It was important at that point of the game, he had scored a century in the first innings,” Siraj said.

With big exploits already, Siraj served a warning to opponents: “I want to keep performing, will continue to bowl my heart out.”