"Best pace bowler in the red-ball format" - Fans hail Mohammed Siraj for sensational opening burst on Day 1 of IND vs WI 2025 1st Test

Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj picked up from where he left off in England on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad on October 2. After the visitors won the toss and batted first, Siraj struck in just his second over, removing Tagenarine Chanderpaul for a duck.

The 31-year-old continued his relentless spell by dismissing the talented Brandon King with a peach for 13. He picked up a third wicket in his opening burst by sending Alick Athanaze back to the pavilion, leaving the West Indies in tatters at 42/4 in the 12th over.

Siraj finished his first spell with outstanding figures of 3/19 in seven overs. The right-arm seamer is coming off a sensational Test series in England, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps in five games.

His nine-wicket outing in the final Test at the Oval helped India level the series at 2-2.

Fans on X hailed Mohammed Siraj for another brilliant spell of bowling on the opening morning against the West Indies.

Here are some of the best reactions:

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@toxifyy18

In white ball, in red ball, in australia, in england, in south africa, on flat decks, on slow decks, on turners, on green tops, with the new ball, with the old ball, in the powerplay, in the middle overs, there is only one guy who mastered it all and it is MOHAMMAD SIRAJ

Varun singh

@Varun_singh0291

@mufaddal_vohra Fact : Siraj is performing much much better than Bumrah in Test cricket.

Avijit Ghosh

@cinemawaleghosh

Siraj seems to start again from where he left off at Oval earlier this summer. Great opening spell 7-3-19-3 #Siraj #INDvWI #AhmedabadTest

Fans continued praising Siraj for his opening burst, with one saying:

Can never get tired of watching Siraj. Absolute gem.

"Siraj swinging the ball both ways is just majestical," posted a fan.

"Mohammad Siraj is currently the best pace bowler in the red ball format!!" a fan said.

Mohammed Siraj leads Team India to a dominant position at Lunch on Day 1

Mohammed Siraj's heroics led India to a dominant first session on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies. The visitors stuttered their way to 90/5 at Lunch on Day One in 23.2 overs.

Siraj's three wickets aside, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav also chipped in with a wicket each, wrecking the West Indian top-order. The latter dismissed the top-scorer of the innings thus far, Shai Hope, for 26 at the stroke of lunch.

Skipper Roston Chase has looked promising, moving to 22 off 35 deliveries, after walking into bat with his side in disarray at 39/3. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja were the other bowlers India used, with the duo combining for figures of 0/31 in seven overs.