WTC Final 2023: On day two, we planned to bowl only bouncers to Travis Head, says Mohammed Siraj

After Travis Head’s counterattacking hundred on the first day of the World Test Championship final, India pacer Mohammed Siraj said the team planned to bowl only bouncers to Travis Head irrespective of the outcome.

Head scored 163 runs off 174 balls, which put Australia in a commanding position on the second day of the marquee clash. India’s decision to not use the short ball against Head was questioned on the opening day, forcing them to change their plans on Thursday.

Read: Top-order failures put India on the back foot against Australia

Siraj eventually got rid of him with a short ball on the leg side.

“There was sticky bounce yesterday morning and seam movement. Thereafter, there was not enough swing from the six metre length and batters were having it easy. Head batted extraordinarily as well. We could have bowled with better lines,” said Siraj.

According to Siraj, deploying the short ball on the second day was fruitful for them.

“We decided to bowl bouncer only to Head and if he get hit from there then so be it. We stuck to it and got success. We built pressure did not give too many runs that also helped. We used bouncers yesterday as well but the chances went in the gap.

“There were four-five chances off my bowling only. If we did not bowl well, Australia would have crossed 500,” he said.

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Siraj added that the wicket had more pace and uneven bounce on day two.

“There is more pace in the wicket and there is uneven bounce. We also bowled well but the way Head batted he forced us to push our lengths back.”

On throwing the ball back to Steve Smith after the Australian completed his hundred in the first over of the day, he added: “It was nothing. I was just enjoying. It is important to do that as it is a long day,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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