Mohammed Siraj took 2 wickets and conceded 47 runs in 12 overs bowled on the first day of the first Test at the Eden Gardens. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Indian seamen enjoyed a dominant opening day at the Eden Gardens and Mohammed Siraj said the surface made it difficult to score runs after South Africa were dismissed for 159 in the first Test on Friday. Jasprit Bumrah led the charge with a decisive five-wicket haul while Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two each to disrupt South Africa’s early momentum.
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Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton got the visitors off to a steady start, but the innings quickly fell apart as the movement of the new ball loosened and the pitch began to behave erratically. Siraj said the conditions required discipline, especially when he was shining. “The new ball was charging nicely to the bat, but when the ball got softer, the bounce also reduced,” Siraj said after the stumps. He added that the plan was to stay full and attack the stumps as the pitch still offered something to bowlers willing to aim straight. “There was some reverse swing on offer, if you mix stump to stump, you get wicket-taking opportunities and it’s not easy for batsmen to score,” he said. He also pointed out the contrast between the two ends. “One end is fine to bat, the other end – the bounce is variable and it’s difficult to score,” said Siraj, summarizing the challenges the bowlers took advantage of during the day. The right-arm speedster explained that Bumrah’s inputs helped him fine-tune his approach during a crucial phase of the innings. “Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket option is when you bowl on the stumps, you have LBW, bowling and even catches that come into play when the line is accurate,” he said, crediting the senior pacer’s guidance during the spell. South Africa’s innings, which started promisingly, quickly disintegrated after the first hour. A collapse of ten wickets for 102 runs left India in control before their own batting faced fading light. India closed on 37 for 1. KL Rahul and Washington Sundar ensured there was no late damage after Yashasvi Jaiswal fell to Marc Jansen.
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Siraj said the team was happy with its position on the stumps. “We’re in a good position having only lost one wicket. (Earlier) Markram and Rickelton put up a good fight, we did well to come back and I think we have the edge in the game at the moment,” he said. The hosts have lost by 122 runs heading into the second day, with the pitch expected to continue to test both sides.
