Mohammed Siraj bounced back strong on Day 1 of the first Test between India and West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Indian pacer grabbed four key wickets with his tricky “wobble seam” deliveries, helping bowl out the visitors for just 162 runs in 44.1 overs.
Siraj’s last Test outing came against England at The Oval less than two months ago. He admitted starting the day a bit rusty but quickly hit his stride after snaring his first victim. That breakthrough happened in the 10th over when he dismissed opener Brandon King using his signature wobble seam—a ball that wobbles unpredictably through the air.
“When my in-swing wasn’t clicking, I switched to out-swing and realized that’s the wobble seam in action,” Siraj told reporters after the day’s play. “I just tilt the seam a little and let it go. I’ve only recently heard the term, but it’s working great for me.”
He added that the wobble seam shines when straight out-swing falls flat, especially on pitches like this one where swing was limited. “I’m really enjoying bowling it, and it delivered the results we needed today,” Siraj said. With West Indies struggling early, his variations made all the difference in the India vs West Indies Test match.
The 29-year-old from Hyderabad stressed that those four wickets didn’t come easy. “I earn them through hard work,” he said. “It was the same story against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar series—no one’s handing out freebies. I had to grind for every one here too.”
Siraj also shared his buzz before taking the field. Spotting the green-top pitch—a fast, seamer-friendly surface rare for home games in India—got him fired up. “We don’t see these often at home,” he noted. “The last time was against New Zealand in Bengaluru. I was pumped to bowl on it and stuck to my plans perfectly.”
For instance, he recalled one moment where he hit a batter on the pads two balls earlier, then targeted the stumps next time—and it paid off big. Siraj’s performance set India up nicely, giving their bowlers the edge on a pitch that favored pace in this Ahmedabad showdown.
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