India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has provided an update on Mohammed Siraj’s injury.
The fast bowler suffered a right-leg hamstring injury while bowling in the fag end of the opening day of the second Test match at the Wanderers, Johannesburg against South Africa on Monday.
Siraj decided to pull out before he was about to deliver the ball and the grimace on his face was palpable. India’s physio Nitin Patel rushed to attend Siraj and the fast bowler decided to go off the field. Siraj’s over was then completed by Shardul Thakur.
Ashwin revealed that the team’s medical team will assess Siraj’s injury and he should be available to bowl on the second day’s play.
Ashwin said in the post-day press conference, “So I asked Anand before going into the press conference whether I can talk about it and he said I can. The medical staff is assessing him overnight and obviously, I think, it’s very immediate so initially what they do with these injuries is they just ice and see it for the next hour or two. I am hoping with the history that Siraj has, he’ll definitely come out and give his best.”
Meanwhile, Siraj is known to give his 120% on the field and if he isn’t able to bowl on the second day, then it would be a huge blow for the team. Siraj has been a perfect find for the Indian team and he has impressed with his skills.
The pacer from Hyderabad had also breathed down the neck of South African skipper Dean Elgar as he had beaten him four times in an over but didn’t have the rub of the green on his side. Siraj had scalped three wickets in the first Test match at Centurion.
In fact, Jasprit Bumrah had also suffered an ankle sprain in the first innings of the opening Test match.
Meanwhile, India was skittled out for 202 after standing captain KL Rahul decided to bat first. South Africa finished at 35-1 at the end of the day’s play.
