Cheteshwar Pujara’s tenure in the Indian cricket team from 2010 to 2023 saw the rise of India as a formidable fast-bowling unit. Zaheer Khan was already there, and then came the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav. So, Pujara is a good candidate to judge the top Test fast bowlers of India. In a video by Cricinfo, he was asked about Mohammed Siraj. Does Mohammed Siraj make your top 20 Indian Test fast bowlers? “Yes, he is definitely there,” he replied.
When he was asked if Siraj is in the top 10, Pujara replied: “Yes, I would say so because of his performances overseas as well as in India, and also the amount of effort he puts in for the team. He is definitely there in the top 10.”
Does he make your top five? “Maybe not. I am going to tell my top five. I will start with Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma,” Pujara said.
Meanwhile, Sonal Dinusha led a rearguard revival with the lower order once again in the second cricket Test against India, scoring a half-century and helping Sri Lanka build a lead of 116 runs at lunch on the last day.
Sri Lanka resumed its second innings on Thursday with a narrow lead, four wickets in hand, and needing to bat for time in the hope of salvaging a draw. Dinusha and No. 8 Keshara Nuwantha added 100 runs during the first session to increase their partnership to 111 runs off 242 deliveries. At lunch, Dinusha was not out on 55 and Nuwantha was unbeaten on 46.
They had spent close to three hours at the crease together, a crucial factor given the time lost to rain and more rain predicted on Day 5.
Dinusha posted 103 in the first innings, batting mostly with the tailenders, but it wasn’t enough for Sri Lanka to avoid the follow-on. He also had innings of 100 and 84 in the first Test match in Galle, where India won by 165 runs.
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar had figures of 2/98 for India, while Siraj, Krishna, Jain and Jadeja took one wicket each.
India had put itself in a potentially winning position by stumps on Wednesday after restricting Sri Lanka in its second innings after enforcing the follow-on. India batted first after winning the toss and scored a massive 503/9 declared, then bowled Sri Lanka out for 290.
On Day 4, Sri Lanka reached 229/6 to lead by only 16 runs when rain brought an early close to play. Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis scored half-centuries.