Team India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has joined the elite list of Indian cricketers during the second match of the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka. Mohammed Siraj has become the fourth Indian bowler to achieve this huge milestone with the new ball in the 50-over international format.
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka opted to bat first after winning the toss at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, August 4. The hosts made two changes to their playing XI as Kamindu Mendis and Jeffrey Vandersay returned to the lineup. India fielded the same starting XI as the previous match.
Mohammed Siraj joins the elite list of Indian bowlers
Mohammed Siraj gave an early breakthrough for his team by dismissing Pathum Nissanka on the first ball of the match. Siraj bowled a delivery from outside the off-stump which went wide and caused an edge on Nissanka’s defence. Rahul completed the catch and Nissanka was dismissed for a golden duck.
After dismissing Pathum Nissanka, the 30-year-old joined the elite list of D. Mohanty, Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar. Siraj became the fourth Indian player to take a wicket on the first ball of an ODI match. Notably, Zaheer has dismissed the opposition batsman on the first ball four times in his career.
| Bowler | Adversary | Year | Batter |
|---|---|---|---|
| D. Mohanty | West Indies | 1999 | Ridley Jacobs |
| Zaheer Khan | New Zealand | 2001 | Matthew Sinclair |
| Zaheer Khan | Sri Lanka | 2002 | Sanath Jayasuriya |
| Zaheer Khan | Australia | 2007 | Michael Clarke |
| Zaheer Khan | Sri Lanka | 2009 | Upul Tharanga |
| Praveen Kumar | Sri Lanka | 2010 | Upul Tharanga |
| Mohammed Siraj | Sri Lanka | 2024 | Pathum Nissanka |
However, Mohammed Siraj failed to take more wickets in his first innings. The right-handed bowler conceded 16 runs in his five overs during the powerplay. Sri Lanka’s top-order batsmen Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando guided the team to avoid losing any more wickets in the first 10 overs of the match.
The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw
The first ODI of the ongoing three-match series between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2. The home side posted a competitive total of 230 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs. They scored 142 runs in the first 34.2 overs.
Dunith Wellalage top-scored for the Sri Lankan team with 67 runs off 65 balls, aided by seven boundaries and two sixes. Pathum Nissanka added 56 runs off 75 balls, including 9 fours. For India, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each and restricted the home side to 230 runs.
In response, the Indian team got off to a flying start. Captain Rohit Sharma made the most of the field restrictions and scored 58 runs off 47 balls, including seven boundary runs and three sixes. The Indian team lost wickets at regular intervals. They failed to score the final run and lost two wickets, resulting in a draw.
Also Read: After Wasim Akram, Moin Khan says NO to Pakistan Cricket Board over this reason
