"He did an excellent setup" - Cheteshwar Pujara lauds Mohammed Siraj's spell in IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Former India player Cheteshwar Pujara has lauded Mohammed Siraj for picking up two crucial wickets on Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa. He particularly appreciated the right-arm seamer for dismissing Marco Jansen with an excellent setup.

Siraj registered figures of 2/47 in 12 overs as India bowled South Africa out for 159 in their first innings in Kolkata on Friday, November 14. The hosts ended the day at 37/1 in their first innings, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (12) being the only player dismissed.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pujara was asked about his thoughts on Siraj's spell and whether the seamer would be particularly delighted with his dismissal of Jansen.

"He did an excellent setup. In his second spell, he was trying to bowl every ball on the stumps. He was trying to bring every ball in. Before Marco Jansen got out, he even bowled two bouncers to him. One was a wide for sure, but a tall batter always has in his mind that a bouncer can come anytime. Jansen has difficulties against the short ball," he responded.

The former India batter pointed out that Jansen lacked in his footwork because of the short balls bowled by Siraj previously.

"His feet didn't move on that ball as they should have. The ball was good, but as a batter, can you not play that ball? You can definitely play, but his leg went in front of middle and leg. His leg had opened up. You do that in white-ball cricket and not in red-ball cricket. So, excellent bowling, but the bouncer was playing on Jansen's mind, and that's why his front foot didn't move," Pujara elaborated.

Mohammed Siraj first trapped Kyle Verreynne lbw for a 36-ball 16. He then castled Marco Jansen for a three-ball duck in the same over to help India reduce South Africa to 147/7.

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"He figured it out after the first spell wasn't good" - Aakash Chopra lauds Mohammed Siraj's maturity after Day 1 of IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Mohammed Siraj bounced back after a wicketless and expensive first spell. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India opener Aakash Chopra praised Mohammed Siraj for learning from an indifferent first spell.

"You play for India because you bowl well and pick up wickets, but to go beyond that, you need to know how to pick up wickets on which wicket, and what should be your game plan against which batter. You get that maturity only by bowling, and that is clearly visible. He figured it out after the first spell wasn't good," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Siraj's maturity is now complementing his hard work.

"He was talking about pushing the batter back and then bringing the ball in after pitching it up. There was never any question about his hard work. The commitment is 120 percent, if that's possible. Based on what we saw in England and the two series after that, the maturity to take wickets is also being seen. The understanding is also there," Chopra observed.

Jasprit Bumrah (5/27 in 14 overs) was India's most successful bowler in South Africa's first innings. While Kuldeep Yadav (2/36 in 13 overs) picked up two wickets, just like Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel (1/21 in six overs) accounted for one dismissal.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer