IND vs PAK: Mohammed Siraj had a disappointing outing in India's second match against Afghanistan but he redeemed himself by taking crucial wickets against Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Siraj registered figures of 2/50 as he dismissed Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam to trigger a batting collapse for Pakistan.

It proved to be a turning point as Pakistan went on to lose eight wickets in 36 runs, getting bowled out in just 191 runs in 42.5 overs.

"When we go to the office you also have a day off, it cannot always be the same every time, the graph always comes down. So, I think to myself that I am not a bad bowler because of one match," Siraj said in the post-match press conference.

 

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"I always keep my confidence high that my bowling is good and I should be the number one bowler. This confidence helps me in bowling and I can’t be a bad bowler if I lose a match. I have backed myself to do that. I have got the result today."

The Men in Blue chased down the target in 30.3 overs with seven wickets in hand on the back of batting brilliance from skipper Rohit Sharma who played a crucial knock of 86 runs with Shreyas Iyer also scoring a half-century.

Siraj, who comes from a humble background where his father was an auto-rickshaw driver and he couldn’t afford bowling spikes, expressed his feelings about playing a World Cup for India.

"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.

"And India and Pakistan are known for their high-intensity and high-pressure games. But today, I saw that and I felt good."

There wasn't much help witnessed for the bowlers on the flat track in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Siraj, who went for runs early in the innings, had to try different things and was rewarded with the important wickets.

 

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"I started from third over. Because in the end, there could have been chances of reverse. Because when I was holding it seam-up it was coming easy on the bat. The batsman was not struggling. The ball was coming easy."

"So, I thought, on this wicket I need to try cross seam because it can keep low, and at times, you can get extra bounce. If you can extract bounce and if you get a wicket, that’s good for you."