• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Mohammed Siraj, India's senior pacer, had a memorable outing in the five-match Test series in England during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He helped India draw the series 2-2 on the back of a thrilling win in the final Test at the Oval.

As Siraj continues to shine in Test cricket on the back of his never-say-die attitude and impactful aggression. He credited former skipper Virat Kohli for his aggression and the way he sees the opponents. Siraj is a huge Virat Kohli admirer, and he emerged as a key player under the latter's captaincy.

ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Explains Honest Assessment Of Test Cricket After Retirement

Siraj shared the dressing room for a long while with Virat during his time at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL, and recently he opened up on how he has learned the aggression from the veteran batter, who had played the game with the same intensity throughout his stellar career.

ALSO READ: Liverpool Beat Newcastle United 3-2 In Premier League

"I've learned this one particular thing from Virat Kohli, and that is his fighting approach in the game. Off the field, he would be talking very nicely, but on the field, the opposition is the enemy for him. I like this thing about him. And my bowling comes from aggression.

"If I do not show that on the ground, I won't be able to bowl well. I have been with Virat Kohli in RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and have had a good bonding with him. Fast bowlers should have aggression on the field, and Virat Kohli has more aggression on the field than the bowlers," Sirat told RevSportz in an interview.

Siraj carried the same aggression in England and engaged in multiple on-field battles with their players during the Test series. It isn't just getting under the opponent players' skin that Siraj has learned from Kohli, but also using the crowd's support to energise oneself.

"In that last Test at The Oval, when Brook and Root were having a good partnership, we had a bit of a shoulder-dropping moment. But then, I encouraged everyone, and we went ahead to get the upper hand in the form of the wicket of Root. I have also learned to take crowd support from Virat. Support of the crowd, for a bowler, can make a big difference and get the bowler flying with confidence," Siraj asserted.

Siraj was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 23 scalps under his belt at an average of 32.43 and was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his heroic effort in the final Test