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Mohammed Siraj strikes on debut, gets Marnus Labuschagne as India dominate Australia in MCG Test

Mohammed Siraj struck with the big wicket of Marnus Labuschagne as India continued to strike at regular intervals against Australia at the MCG.

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Mohammed Siraj took the big wicket of Marnus Labuschagne before the tea break to put India on top against Australia. (Image credit: BCCI Twitter handle)
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When Mohammed Siraj was presented the India cap before the start of the match by Ravichandran Ashwin, it was a big journey of redemption for the Hyderabad pacer. Before the Test series, while Mohammed Siraj was training hard at the Blacktown Oval in Sydney under quarantine, news came that he had lost his father. Rather than immediately going back to Hyderabad, Mohammed Siraj decided to put ‘country-first’ and said that he would be staying in Australia. The move won him plenty of plaudits and praise from Indian cricket fans. Following the injury to Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj was included in the playing 11 for the iconic Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

After a nervous start, Mohammed Siraj got into rhythm and he managed to trouble Australia. Jasprit Bumrah had broken a dangerous stand by getting rid of Travis Head for 38. However, Marnus Labuschagne was going strong and was reaching a fifty just before the tea break. However, a slight lapse in concentration saw Mohammed Siraj striking gold.

In the third ball of his eighth over, Mohammed Siraj bowled a full ball on the pads to Labuschagne. Normally, a batsman of Labuschagne’s caliber would have put that away for a boundary. Instead, he flicked the ball to shortish backward square leg where Shubman Gill dived low to his right and took a catch to deny Labuschagne a chance for a fifty.

Big wicket again changes things

Heading into the tea break, Australia have lost some of the momentum that they had built thanks to the partnership between Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. With Ashwin maintaining the pressure and Bumrah as well as Mohammed Siraj taking wickets, India are in a good position to restrict Australia to a low total.

Mohammed Siraj is the 298th member of the Indian cricket team in Tests. It was fitting that the 297th member, Shubman Gill, who also made his debut in the same match as Mohammed Siraj, should take the catch.

India are looking to bounce back in the four-Test series after their horrible loss in Adelaide which saw them getting bowled out for 36.

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