India’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj expressed complete trust in teammate Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the crucial third ODI against New Zealand at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday.
The series is currently level at 1-1, with India winning the first match by four wickets and New Zealand taking the second match by seven wickets. Speaking at a press conference, Siraj said that Jadeja’s lack of wickets in recent games is not a concern for the team.
Siraj explained that Jadeja is very close to finding his rhythm again and only needs one good wicket to get back into top form. In the first two ODIs, Jadeja went wicketless, giving away 44 runs in one match and 56 in the other. Before this, he managed just one wicket in the home series against South Africa. Despite these numbers, Siraj believes that once Jadeja takes his first wicket, he will look like a completely different bowler and start dominating again.
Looking at the series so far, Siraj praised India’s strong performance in the opening match, where both batting and bowling units performed well together. In the second ODI, India lost quick wickets early, but KL Rahul played an important innings and Nitish Reddy also added useful runs in the middle order. Siraj admitted that dropping a catch of Daryl Mitchell made a huge difference, as players of Mitchell’s quality do not spare teams when chances are missed.
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Siraj mentioned that the team had prepared specific plans to dismiss Mitchell during the middle overs, but they were unable to execute them properly. He said that taking that one key chance could have changed the outcome of the second match. Mitchell has caused problems for India in several recent matches, which makes his wicket extremely valuable for the Indian side.
Siraj also shared that the overall atmosphere in the team is positive despite the series being tied. According to him, there is no added pressure and senior players are offering strong guidance to everyone. He described the dressing room environment as healthy and focused as the team prepares for important tournaments in the near future.
He also supported the idea of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh opening the bowling, especially on the small ground in Indore. Siraj said that the final decision rests with the team management but he has full confidence in Arshdeep’s ability.
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He further appreciated young fast bowler Harshit Rana for performing well, especially for taking early wickets and making good use of the chances he gets ahead of the World Cup. Speaking about his own exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad, Siraj said he wanted to be part of the team but understands it may have been due to workload management.
For the decider in Indore, he plans to bowl straight at the stumps on the batting-friendly pitch, aiming for bowled or LBW dismissals even if edges do not carry to the wicketkeeper.
Holkar Stadium is known for its small boundaries and flat pitch, which usually leads to high-scoring matches. Dew in the evening might help the team batting second, so the toss could play an important role. India will look to maintain their strong home record, while New Zealand will aim to create history by winning a series on Indian soil.