Mohammed Siraj did a great job dealing with questions in the media interaction on Monday but there was one, which he had no answer to. While the questions to the pacer were from the ongoing Test series between India and England, he was taken aback after being asked about his thoughts on the cancellation of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) match between India and Pakistan.
India's champions, featuring icons such as Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, were supposed to play the Pakistan unit in Birmingham on Sunday. The match, however, was cancelled because some players in the India Champions squad refused to participate. India are not playing against Pakistan because of the horrific terror assault on tourists in Pahalgam. The attack caused India and Pakistan's relationship to deteriorate further.
Before the fourth Test against England, Siraj was asked about it, to which Siraj responded: "I don't know". The reporter then asked Siraj if India would play Pakistan in ICC events, which put him in an awkward situation. "I don't know what to say," Siraj repeated.
Siraj reflects at Lord's defeat
Siraj also spoke about sharing the crease alongside Ravindra Jadeja in a tensed situation at Lord's in the third Test. He was the final batter to be dismissed, which handed the hosts a 22-run victory. But before that the tail-ender put a brilliant effort with the bat and dragged India close to win. He was dismissed by Shoaib Bashir after the ball rolled back onto the stumps after bouncing on the pitch, leaving Jadeja stranded on 61 at the other end.
Despite dominating England for a significant portion of the game, India lost, with Jasprit Bumrah being one of the most notable players from the match. He claimed seven wickets, five of which came in the opening innings.
"It obviously hurts when you get out despite middling the ball. The way our (Ravindra Jadeja's and my) partnership was going, I felt I wouldn't get out. I was that confident. But unfortunately, it didn't happen that way, and I was extremely disappointed. Had we won the game from there, it would have been a different result altogether," said Siraj.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
