Sachin Tendulkar, while analysing Mohammed Siraj's bowling, on Saturday said that it was the Indian fast bowler's ability and not pitch that brought the ball in on the opening day of the fourth Test at The Gabba. Siraj picked only a wicket but was impactful with his swing bowling against Australia in the ongoing final Test. He dismissed opener, David Warner, in the first over of the game, shiowing why he was trusted to lead the attack after Jasprit Bumrah couldn't get ready for the game despite trying till the eleventh hour.
The legendary Indian batsman praised Siraj and explained how the Indian speedster was able to bowl the inswing on day one of the fourth Test.
"When Mohammed Siraj was bowling, I had a couple of guys say that the ball hit the crack and it nipped back something which I observed was completely different. Mohammed Siraj, when he was bowling outswingers, (reflecting on the shiny surface of the ball) this is the shiny side and what he would do is he would get his fingers behind the ball and release it," Tendulkar said in a video posted on his Twitter handle.
"So the seam is pointing towards first slip, or sometimes second slip, and when he wanted to bowl in cutter which moves off the seam, instead of going behind the ball he went off the pitch," he added.
The former cricketer concluded by giving Siraj the full marks for his bowling. "So I don't think it happened off the crack. It was Siraj's talent. His ability to bowl those in-cutters," said Tendulkar.
Rain washed off the final session on Day 2 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at The Gabba on Saturday. India ended the day at 62/2 still trailing the hosts by 307 runs.