In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, an ‘improved’ Siraj stepped up and performed a pivotal function in India’s house ODI collection win towards Sri Lanka.
Grabbing 9 wickets in three matches, Siraj was the best wicket-taker within the collection and averaged a formidable 10.22.
Rohit, forward of the collection opener towards the Kiwis, raved about Siraj stating that the 28-year-old was the standout performer towards Sri Lanka.
The skipper talked about that Siraj must be sorted and shall be essential for the crew within the upcoming Test collection towards Australia and the ODI World Cup at house in October-November later this yr.
“He is a very important player for us. He has improved his line and length a lot in the last two years. Now we are getting to see his outswing. He was not known for his swing but he did that against Sri Lanka. That is very good for the team if he can do that with the new ball consistently,” Rohit mentioned.
“He understands his bowling a lot better now which is a big thing in my view. He also knows what the team wants from him. All in all, he has become a very good bowler for us. He can take wickets in all phases and we need bowlers like him. We need to manage him and keep him fresh for the World Cup as well upcoming Tests against Australia,” the skipper added.
Siraj shall be a part of the ODI collection towards New Zealand however has been rested for the T20Is towards the Kiwis because the Australia 4-Test collection will get underway shortly after that from February 9.