In the one-off Test against Afghanistan, Mohammed Siraj played a quickfire cameo of 22 off 12 balls, helping India declare at 564/8. His explosive hitting stunned fans, who took to social media to nickname him 'Mohammed Vivraj' and compare his swashbuckling style to Viv Richards.
Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj showed his batting prowess on Day 2 of the One-Off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Sunday, June 7.
Team India declared their first innings after posting a total of 564/8 in 127 overs. Skipper Shubman Gill (126) and opener KL Rahul (100) headlined with masterful centuries, while Rishabh Pant played an innings of 81 off 121 balls. Interestingly, all three survived Afghanistan’s DRS lapses, a recurring theme that allowed India to build a commanding position.
Washington Sundar chipped in with an unbeaten innings of 52 off 68 balls, and his 54-run stand for the seventh wicket, Manav Suthar (28), took the hosts to the 500-run mark. Mohammed Siraj’s late-innings cameo innings of 22 off 12 balls further accelerated the scoring, injecting a sense of urgency before the declaration.
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Siraj’s Fiery Cameo Steals Spotlight
As Team India put themselves in a commanding position before declaring their first innings, Mohammed Siraj stole the spotlight with a quickfire cameo knock late in the innings. Though Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar were instrumental in laying the foundation with their disciplined batting, it was Siraj who provided the late-innings fireworks that left the crowd buzzing.
Walking in to bat after Manav Suthar’s dismissal at 510/7, Mohammed Siraj settled into the crease quickly as transitioning immediately into ‘T20 mode’. He got off the mark by hitting a four off Nangeyalia Kharote before taking on the same Afghanistan bowler to the cleaners in the 120th over, smashing him for a six and two consecutive fours.
In the 121st over, Mohammed Siraj faced Mohammad Saleem Safi, whom he hit for a boundary before the Afghanistan pacer finally managed to halt the pacer's explosive charge by destroying the middle stump, ending his stay at the crease at 540/8.
Mohammed Siraj’s 22 off 12 balls consists of 4 fours and a six, and he batted at a strike rate of 183, the most by any Indian batter in this innings. In his brief 30-run stand for the eighth wicket with Washington Sundar, Siraj scored nearly 75% of the runs, highlighting the blistering pace at which he pushed the score forward.
His quickfire cameo helped Team India build momentum rapidly, forcing the visitors onto the defensive just before the declaration. The innings was not just about the runs, but about the injection of urgency and entertainment that energized the Mullanpur crowd.
‘Mohammed Vivraj’: Fans Pay Ultimate Tribute to Siraj’s Swashbuckling Cameo
Mohammed Siraj’s quickfire cameo knock of 22 off 12 balls sparked a wave of reactions on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), where fans and cricket enthusiasts were left awestruck by the pacer's unexpected batting prowess.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts were left stunned by Mohammed Siraj’s explosive cameo, with many praising his unexpected T20-style hitting in a Test match. Many drew comparisons to Viv Richards, calling him ‘Sir Vivian Mohammed Siraj Richards’ and ‘Siraj is Sir Vivian Richards of our generation.’
Others hailed his ‘full T20 mode’ approach and described the knock as pure entertainment with no defence, just fearless hitting.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s bowling attack was led by Mohammad Saleem Safi, who registered the figures of 6/140 at an economy rate of 5.20 in 27 overs. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi (1/91) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (1/91) picked up a wicket, but struggled to contain India’s dominant batting lineup as the hosts piled on a massive first-innings total and seized full control of the Test match.
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