Mohammed Siraj of India celebrates the wicket of Steve Smith of Australia during day four of the 4th Test Match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on January 18
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj on Monday capped off his stellar debut series in Australia with a richly-deserved five-wicket haul, his first in his international career, and the only by an Indian this series, in the fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane. His five for 73, together with Shardul Thakur's four-fer, helped India fold Australia for 294 and set themselves a target of 328 runs on a tricky Gabba track. Australian conditions are always difficult for visiting players to begin their career with, but Siraj, only three Test old, led an inexperienced attack and outsmarted the hosts by consistently hitting the awkward length, making use of the inconsistent bounce and getting the ball to move off the seam.
4 other Indian bowlers have managed to pick up a five-wicket haul before Siraj - Erapalli Prasanna (1968), Bishan Singh Bedi (1977), Madan Lal (1977), Zaheer Khan (2003).
5/73 is the second-best bowling figures recorded by an Indian seamer at the Gabba, behind Madan Lal's 5/72 in 1977.
1 other Indian bowler has taken a five-wicket haul during their team debut series in Australia - Syed Abi Ali at the Adelaide in 1967 - who also hails from Hyderabad. Overall, seven other bowlers have achieved this feat, six of which are from England and one remaining from Pakistan. England's Ken Shuttleworth was the last to join the list, in 1970.
13 wickets have now been taken by Siraj on this tour, the most by an Indian going past Ravichandran Ashwin. It is also the most by an Indian in a Test series while making their debut in Australia, surpassing Javagal Srinath's tally of 10 in the 1991/92 tour. Overall, it is the third-most by a visiting debutant in Australia after South Africa's Joe Partridge (25 wickets in 1963/64) and Ben Stokes (15 wickets in 2013/14). Siraj's 13 wickets in this series came at 29.53.
