"Rohit Sharma was searching for someone who could put his hand up" - Mohammad Kaif lauds Mohammed Siraj

Mohammad Kaif has lauded Mohammed Siraj for rising to the occasion when India were under pressure in the first ODI against New Zealand.

The Men in Blue set a 350-run target for the Black Caps in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18. Siraj then registered figures of 4/46 in his 10 overs as the hosts bowled out Tom Latham and Co. for 337 to register a narrow 12-run win.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Kaif was all praise for Mohammed Siraj for answering Rohit Sharma's call when India were in trouble, elaborating:

"He has huge courage because the pressure under which he came to bowl, it was an extremely important moment when he picked up two wickets in an over. Rohit Sharma was searching for someone who could put his hand up, that Bumrah is not there, but he didn't get any bowler in the death overs."

The former Indian batter pointed out that Siraj showed courage when Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner were taking the game away from India, saying:

"It was an old and slightly wet ball. Forget about skill, you need courage here where nothing was happening with the ball, Bracewell and Santner were hitting one six after another and it was a pressure situation."

Siraj conceded just four runs in the 42nd over of the Kiwi innings. Although he conceded 11 runs in the 44th over, he bounced back brilliantly by picking up two wickets in his final over to sway the match India's way.

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"He picked up three big wickets with bouncers" - Mohammad Kaif on Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj has picked up 13 wickets in the four ODIs he has played in 2023. [P/C: BCCI]

Kaif appreciated Siraj for overcoming the doubts that might have been there in his mind at the top of his run-up, explaining:

"You might be in great form but when you run with the ball, there are doubts whether you should bowl yorkers or slower balls. There he bowled a bouncer and trapped Santner. He picked up three big wickets with bouncers."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the Hyderabad seamer quickly realized that pitched-up deliveries weren't effective on the day, observing:

He tried to bowl full first to check the swing but the swing was not available. Then he came to the short ball. He didn't bowl short balls in the entire series against Sri Lanka but here his plan was to bowl bouncers as the ball was not swinging.

Kaif concluded by praising Siraj for showcasing his ability to alter the course of the game in a jiffy, stating:

"He dismissed Conway with a bouncer, then got Latham out and then Santner who was set. After that, two wickets in an over. It shows Mohammed Siraj has the ability to change the game in an over."

Siraj had Devon Conway and Tom Latham caught in the deep off short deliveries. He dismissed Santner with another short ball before castling Henry Shipley with his next legitimate delivery.