Hyderabad: Enthusiastic fans welcomed India pacer Mohammed Siraj on Wednesday at Hyderabad airport.
The pacer landed in his hometown after a stellar performance in the intensely contested drawn Test series against England.
The pacer was the leading wicket-taker in the five-match series. He played all five games and bowled a mammoth 185.3 overs.
The 31-year-old Mohammed Siraj, 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 Hyderabad. He was dressed in dapper black casuals, and a small group of fans gave him a joyous welcome.
There were requests for selfies and autographs in Mumbai, 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.
Siraj’s most definitive effort came on the fifth day of the final Test at The Oval, when his singular 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 visitors a highly admirable 2-2 draw in the series.
With inputs from PTI
