Debutant Siraj earns praise from Jasprit Bumrah, Ponting after an impressive spell at MCG

India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has heaped praise on debutant Mohammed Siraj for his performance on the first day of the Boxing Day Test. Revealing that the youngster was 'very eager' to bowl, Bumrah remarked that Siraj bowled really well and showed confidence. Siraj, who decided to stick with the touring Indian party despite the passing away of his father, made his debut on Saturday morning and also picked up his maiden Test wicket as dismissed Marnus Labuschagne. 

Speaking of Siraj's performance, Bumrah said, "He made his debut and he was very eager to bowl in the first session, he was waiting for his chance. He has worked really hard and has come up through the ranks. He was bowling well and was amidst a good spell. When he came after the first session, there was not a lot happening, so he bowled with a lot of control. Suddenly, he started getting a bit of movement, so he tried to use the best of it. Playing his first Test match, he bowled really well and he showed the confidence of using all his skills. That's a very heartening sign for us and hopefully, he continues like that." 

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The debutant bowled only 15 overs and picked up two wickets as Team India bundled up the Australians for merely 195. While the Hyderabad pacer gave away 40 runs, he delivered 4 maidens. The Indian young gun also earned praise from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for his spell on Saturday morning. Mentioning the specifics, Ponting remarked that he liked his aggression and the use of the short ball. 

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'I've liked his aggression'

"Gets his first Test wicket and it is one he will never ever forget. I've liked his aggression, he has been willing to use his short ball. But the thing I liked in the lead-up to Green's wicket and even when Paine came to the crease at the 55-60 over mark, the ball started swinging and he's a noted new-ball bowler. He's someone who has done really well in domestic cricket in India with the brand new ball and I thought he might have his challenges here once the ball got a bit older but he's bowled really well," said Ricky Ponting at the end of Day 1. 

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the end of day 1, Jasprit Bumrah said that the Indian batsmen will be 'confident without being reckless' and would also be taking one session at a time. "We don't want to be conservative in our mindset and be positive. Control the controllable. Not being reckless but playing with confidence will be the motive going forward," added the bowler, well aware of the challenge ahead.

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"There was constant discussions going on between bowlers and the captain. The wicket changed after the first session. It got better to bat on in the second session and moisture went away. We were just trying to communicate what kind of lines we wanted to bowl so that we can set the field accordingly. When there was less help, we tried to change the line accordingly," the speedster added. 

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