I was really happy for Mohammed Siraj: Ajinkya Rahane

India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has heaped praises on Mohammed Siraj, saying that the pacer bowled his heart out every time he stepped onto the field. He also singled out how the pacer overcame the obstacles that came his way during the tour to finish as India's highest wicket-taker.  

"I was really happy for them. Siraj especially. What he went through during the series. Start of the series lost his father but he was mentally tough. He wanted to be there with the team." - Ajinkya Rahane told Boria Majumdar during an interview with Sports Today.

The 26-year-old was one of the chief architects of India's historic Test series win against Australia. Not too long ago, tragedy struck the pacer as he lost his father due to a lung ailment in Hyderabad. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had offered Siraj the option of flying back to India. But, he decided to stay back in Australia to fulfil the dreams of his father. To add to Siraj's worries, he then had to deal with racial abuse from the crowd at the SCG. 

Joseph P. Kennedy had once said, 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' - Siraj's gutsy performance was an expansion of Kennedy's words. He stood tall, fought against the adversaries and emerged victoriously. 

"He worked really hard for that. Each and every net session, he worked really hard. I thought the way he bowled was very good. Credit to him, the way he managed himself, the way he bowled, the way he conducted himself. All credit to him," Rahane added. 

Undoubtedly, the Hyderabad-born pacer was the pick of the Indian bowlers, registering 13 wickets at an average of 29.54 in 3 matches. His performance with the ball in the Border Gavaskar Trophy will be remembered for years to come. 

[Sports Today input]