Mohammed Siraj celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva during the Asia Cup final cricket match between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 17, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Hours of net sessions perfecting the art of getting the ball to dart in the air and then deviate away after pitching paid dividends while bamboozling Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, India’s man of the moment Mohammed Siraj, said after his magical spell of 6/21 in the Asia Cup final.

Siraj dismissed Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samaraiwickrama, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya De Silva in his second over before returning to clean up Lankan skipper Dasun Shanka with a peach of a delivery.

“I had practised a lot on generating out-swing deliveries from wide of the crease in West Indies. My outswingers were going well. So I tried from the wide of the crease to push for inswing [which will move away after pitching],” Siraj told bcci.tv.

Also Read | Got a message from trainer to stop Siraj, says Rohit Sharma

“So what I planned, what I had in mind, it turned out to be absolutely perfect and it was my best wicket of the game,” Siraj said in an interaction with Indian teammate Kuldeep Yadav.

With less than a month to go for the World Cup, Siraj said his spell in the Asia Cup Final would give him a lot of confidence heading into the mega event.

Siraj spell shot out the Lankans for a mere 50 in 15.2 overs, aided by fellow pacers Hardik Pandya (3 for 3) and Jasprit Bumrah (1 for 23), while the Indians got the job done with 10 wickets in hand in 6.1 overs.

“It’s a great achievement for me, especially since it’s the final. It will help me gain a lot of confidence before the [ODI] World Cup,” he said.

“To be honest, it was a magical spell, as I had never dreamt about it. I had to struggle hard to gain the fifth wicket in the last ODI against Lanka in Trivandrum, which never came. But, it all worked out today [Sunday].

“In my first spell, the moment I saw I was able to swing the ball, I realised that I didn’t need to hit the wicket. I just intended on bowling at a particular spot and make the ball talk.”

Have been efficiently using my wrong one and flipper: Kuldeep

While Siraj grabbed the Man of the Match award on Sunday, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep took home the Man of the Tournament prize.

Kuldeep finished the event as India’s second-highest wicket-taker, with nine scalps in four innings at an average of 11.44 and an economy of 3.61. His best figures were 5 for 25 against Pakistan.

“I don’t think a lot; I just read the wicket. It’s very important for me to get the length right, and keep bowling at the good length,” he said.

“I also read the batter, as to what shot is he trying to play. I have been efficiently using my wrong one and flipper, and I’m gaining a lot of confidence from it.

“I have worked a lot [on the wrong’un] in the last one and a half years. The rhythm is something that breaks off quite often and takes time to get it back.”

Kuldeep’s form had gone on a downward spiral in 2019, and it has taken him nearly four years to get his rhythm back.

“I’m lucky to have gained that rhythm back. It did take some time and wasn’t easy, but now, it’s going smooth and aggressive, along with the pace; enjoying it a lot.”

Siraj’s awe-inspiring spell did not allow Kuldeep to bowl in the final. However, the latter was pleased to have bowled efficiently in the three matches where he bowled.

“I guess the way you [Siraj] bowled today, I’m glad that I did not have to bowl today. You deserve the moment. Also, if a team gets bowled out for 50, you always want the match to finish quickly.

“It doesn’t matter whether I bowled or not. I did bowl in two [three] matches, where I bowled well, and I am satisfied with it.”

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The bright and sunny afternoon turned overcast 10 minutes before the scheduled start. Once the Asia Cup final finally got going 40 minutes late, a capacity crowd at the R. Premadasa Stadium had one eye on the sky, with a thunderstorm predicted to hit the Sri Lankan capital, on September 17.

While the dark clouds stayed away, the Siraj-storm struck Sri Lanka so hard that it literally blew the home team away. Riding on Mohammed Siraj’s sensational opening burst, India bundled out Sri Lanka for 50 in just 89 minutes.

It took India just 37 balls to overhaul the lowest team total in the Asia Cup’s four-decade history to seal an emphatic win and lift the trophy in style.

Minutes before the toss, when captain Rohit Sharma had a close look at the surface, sensing its dryness, he pointed to the dressing room with three spinners. It meant Washington Sundar, having been added to the squad in place of injured Axar Patel, was included in the XI.

But Washington virtually had no role to play in the game with India’s three pacers spoiling a Lankan band. The papare band hardly had a reason to cheer for the home team, with India’s pacers coming to the party right away.

Jasprit Bumrah struck off the third ball, thanks to K.L. Rahul stretching to his left to accept an edge off Kusal Peera’s willow. Siraj started off with a maiden to Kusal Mendis but the Hyderabad hurricane was unstoppable in his second over.

The fourth over saw Siraj sealing the fate of the game by picking four wickets. The pacer landed the ball in the perfect channel, and bowled perfect outswingers at will. He also jagged the ball occasionally to leave Sri Lanka batters dumbfounded.

Pathum Nissanka (caught by a lunging Ravindra Jadeja at point), Sadeera Samarawickrama (beaten on inside-edge to be adjudged lbw), Charith Asalanka (caught at covers by Ishan Kishan) and Dhanajaya de Silva (caught behind off an outswinger) all fell prey to Siraj’s masterclass.

De Silva, despite saving a hat-trick with a flick off the fifth ball, perished off the next. Siraj returned in the next over to straighten up captain Dasun Shanaka to uproot his off-stump to complete his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in just 16 balls.

At 12 for six, the writing was on the wall. In his extended spell of seven over, Siraj added Kusal Mendis’ wicket, with the batter missing a wild heave to be bowled. Hardik Pandya then wound up the tail even before the spinners came into any real action. That Kuldeep Yadav could bowl a solitary over and only two Sri Lanka batters reached double-digit scores underlined India’s pace pack’s domination.

Rohit preferred to let Ishan Kishan have a hit in the middle along with in-form Shubman Gill. And the duo hardly dropped guard, with Kishan tapping the first ball of the seventh over to long-off for a single to complete the formalities just 27 minutes into the innings.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka Innings: Pathum Nissanka c Ravindra Jadeja b Siraj 2 Kusal Perera c Rahul b Bumrah 0 Kusal Mendis b Siraj 17 Sadeera Samarawickrama lbw b Siraj 0 Charith Asalanka c Ishan Kishan b Siraj 0 Dhananjaya de Silva c Rahul b Siraj 4 Dasun Shanaka b Siraj 0 Dunith Wellalage c Rahul b Hardik Pandya 8 Dushan Hemantha not out 13 Pramod Madushan c Kohli b Hardik Pandya 1 Matheesha Pathirana c Ishan Kishan b Hardik Pandya 0 Extras: (LB-2, W-3) 5

Total: (10 wkts, 15.2 Overs) 50

Fall of Wickets: 1-1, 2-8, 3-8, 4-8, 5-12, 6-12, 7-33, 8-40, 9-50, 10-50.

Indian bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 5-1-23-1, Mohammed Siraj 7-1-21-6, Hardik Pandya 2.2-0-3-3, Kuldeep Yadav 1-0-1-0.

India Innings: Ishan Kishan not out 23 Shubman Gill not out 27 Extras: (LB-1) 1

Total: (0 wkts, 6.1 Overs) 51

Sri Lanka bowling: Pramod Madushan 2-0-21-0, Matheesha Pathirana 2-0-21-0, Dunith Wellalage 2-0-7-0, Charith Asalanka 0.1-0-1-0.

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