India pacer Mohammed Siraj on Wednesday landed in his hometown Hyderabad after a stellar performance in the intensely contested drawn Test series against England, and enthusiastic fans made a beeline to welcome him.
Siraj was the leading wicket-taker in the five-match series with 23 scalps. He played all the five games and bowled a mammoth 185.3 overs.
The 31-year-old, along with the team’s fielding coach T. Dilip, first landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport terminal from London before heading to his home base. A small group of fans gave him a joyous welcome in Mumbai.
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There were requests for selfies and autographs but Siraj quickly trooped into a car and left for the domestic terminal to catch the connecting flight to Hyderabad, where he was once again greeted by a group of adoring fans.
“We have not spoken to him yet. But we will certainly plan something (felicitation) for him, as he could be in the city for a while now. It’s a matter of pride for all of us that he did so well for the country in the series against England,” a Hyderabad Cricket Association official told PTI.
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Siraj’s most definitive effort came on the fifth day of the final Test at the Oval, when his grit helped India bowl out England for 367 in a chase of 374.
Siraj took five wickets in the innings to complete a match-haul of nine wickets.
The six-run win, the slimmest in India’s Test history, earned the visitor a highly admirable 2-2 draw in the series.
