Kolkata, Nov 14 India pacer Mohammed Siraj acknowledged that scoring runs isn’t easy for batters after the hosts wrapped South Africa’s innings for 159 on the opening day of the first Test at Eden Gardens on Friday. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returned with the figures of 5-27 in his 17 overs while Kuldeep Yadav and Siraj bagged two scalps apiece to topple South Africa's batting unit.
Speaking after the stumps, Siraj said the new ball was moving, but as soon as the ball became soft, the bounce reduced off the pitch.
"The new ball was coming on nicely to the bat, but when the ball went soft, the bounce became low as well. My mindset was to bowl full and at the stumps. There has been some reverse swing on offer; if you bowl stump-to-stump, you'll get options to take wickets, and it isn't easy for batters to score runs. One end is fine to bat, the other end - the bounce is variable, and it's tough to score,” Siraj said.
The 31-year-old pacer revealed what Bumrah advised him during the spell and how he applied that in use. “Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket-taking option was if you bowl at the stumps, you've LBW, bowled, and even catches coming to play when the line is accurate,” he said.
Siraj added that India are in a comfortable position after ending the day for 37/1 with KL Rahul (13 not out) and Washington Sundar (6 not out) in the middle. The hosts are trailing by 122 runs.
“We are in a good position, having lost just one wicket. (Earlier) Markram and Rickelton put on a good stand, we did well to come back, and I think we're ahead in the match at the moment,” Siraj said.
Earlier, on a challenging two-paced pitch, where India picked all four spin-bowling options, Bumrah stood out yet again with his incisive 5-27 in 14 overs, dismantling South Africa’s batting order after they had raced to 57/0.
The visitors lost all of their 10 wickets for just 102 runs, leaving India in control at the close of day one. Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, while Axar Patel had a scalp to his name.
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