'Waste of talent' - Twitter erupts as Mohammed Siraj gets benched again in 2nd Test against SL

Team India locked horns with Sri Lanka in the second Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Skipper Rohit Sharma, after winning the toss, has decided to bat first. The home-side has made just one change in their squad replacing Jayant Yadav in form of Axar Patel. However, there were speculations that pacer Mohammed Siraj could be picked ahead of Axar in the Pink ball Test match.

The selectors would have been thinking to include Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI as the pacer holds a ton of experience on the Chinnaswamy wicket while playing for franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League. However, that was not the case, as team India went with the option of Axar Patel who bats brilliantly lower down the order along with bowling tight spin.

Siraj played his last Test Match against South Africa in January

Siraj played his last Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium, Johannesburg earlier this year in January 2022. However, the right-arm pacer was not able to pick a single wicket in both innings. The 27-year-old pacer bowled 9.5 overs and gave 24 runs in the first inning. He was quite expensive as per the standards of the longest format of the game giving away 37 runs in six overs he bowled during the second inning.

It is to be noted that India lost that series against the Proteas with a margin of 2-1. That series was also the last assignment for Virat Kohli as India’s Test skipper after which he stepped down from his post. A few months later Rohit Sharma was named as India’s longest format skipper. Before that, he had already been appointed as the men in blue captain in limited-over formats.

Talking about Siraj’s number in Test format, the right-arm pacer has scalped a total of 36 wickets in 12 Test matches he has represented India. The 27-year old also has one five-wicket haul under his belt.

Meanwhile, here are some Twitter reactions on Siraj being benched for the second Test:

Where is md.siraj….y team india dont think abt future team..pitch favourable fr fast bowler..swing..but team decision not good.

— shekharsinghum0909 (@shekharsinghum1) March 12, 2022

This team and it's effort to come around as the nicest guys to ever exist in front of media.
y'day they said Kuldeep is not dropped but rested out of bubble,But they've kept Siraj in bubble for more than 1 month now and he got to play just 1 T20 iirc. Destroying his top form.

— ayaan. (@AyanMusk) March 12, 2022

Siraj should got chance

— Abraham Limma (@AbrahamLimma) March 12, 2022

Where is Siraj?

— Femiclar Secunist (@UNOwen52049192) March 12, 2022

Wasting Talent of Shubhman Gill and Siraj #BadCaptaincy 😭😭

— Samir Shaikh 🇮🇳 (@Samir68681627) March 12, 2022

Where is SIRAJ ??

— ShreySuriyal (@suriyal_shrey) March 12, 2022

Inclusion of Siraj in playing XI Rohit is better judge of it…but if you are not going to play him for one month better release him and give him break na..now 27th onwards IPL is starting again 2 months bubble. How he is going to sustain.?#PinkBallTest #Siraj #CricketTwitter

— asmit (@KaptaanSparroow) March 12, 2022

It's not about this match he has been bubble for 4 months without proper chances if kuldeep got the break u can release siraj If ur not playing him

— Yogesh (@Yogeshpv1705) March 12, 2022

Will never understand that why Siraj is not given a chance even tho shami and bumrah are playing a dead rubber(bumrah should as he's the vc), but why not Siraj !?!

— Kunal / #71st era (@kunal__singhi) March 12, 2022