Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was asked about Mohammad Siraj fitness who left the field on Day 1 after suffering from a hamstring injury.
Team India’s in form bowler Mohammad Siraj pulled his hamstring while bowling the penultimate over of the day. While bowling his fourth over, Siraj felt the pain and stopped immediately. The 27-year-old immediately left the field after getting some assistance from the medical staff.
After the stumps on Day 1, Ravichandran Ashwin was asked about the in-form pacer’s fitness status. Ashwin said that Siraj is being looked by the physios.
“The medical staff are assessing him overnight and obviously it is very immediate. So initially what they do with these injures is just ice and they see for the next hour or two and I’m hoping with the history that Siraj has, he will definitely come out and give his best,” said Ashwin.
When asked about the nature of the Wanderers pitch Ashwin remarked, “I just felt the pitch was a little two-paced. Generally, Wanderers has the tendency to start a bit slow and then become a little quicker. It did quicken up a bit but it just feels a little different to a typical Wanderers pitch. We have to wait and see how it responds tomorrow if it doesn`t quicken up and doesn’t continue to be two-paced, will the cracks open up, that is something we can only judge at the end of the game.”
The veteran Indian off-spinner appreciated Marco Jansen who made his debut in the ongoing three match test series. The young left arm seamer picked up four wickets and conceded only 31 runs.
Jansen also picked up four wickets in the second innings of the first test at Centurion and restricted team India to 174.
“Left-armers add a lot of variety to any attack. There`s no doubt about it. He’s special, is six-eight (feet-inches), anybody that comes into the game has got a bit of height, bit of skill, he’s got a nice action, gets close to the stumps with his good side-on action”, the 35-year-old added.
The Proteas are currently trailing by 167 runs having put up a score of 35/1 at the end of the first day’s play.