Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Mohammed Siraj's five-wicket haul in 2nd Test vs West Indies

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was sensational on Day 4 of the ongoing Test against the West Indies at Port of Spain, Trinidad. He picked up a five-wicket haul and put his team in a strong position.

West Indies could only add 26 runs to their overnight score as they were bundled out for 255, thanks to some sensational display of seam and swing from Siraj. He kept mixing with his outswingers and scrambled seam deliveries and the fuller lengths proved to be just too good to handle for the hosts' lower order.

In the absence of the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj once again showed that he had what it took to become the leader of India's pace attack. On that note, let's take a look at five such reactions from cricket experts on Siraj's sensational spell of 5/60.

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#5 Deep Dasgupta

Former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta shed light on the importance of Mohammed Siraj's spell, which put India ahead in the game despite losing quite a few overs due to rain. Here's what he told ESPNCricinfo:

"The second new ball was a threat with him (Siraj) being the senior-most bowler. He led the pace attack really well. That spell was crucial given the rain and the forecast. If India go on to win the Test match, that spell would be extremely crucial."

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#4 Danish Kaneria

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria lauded Mohammed Siraj for his consistent line and length. He spoke about the pacer's growth over the years and also feels that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Virat Kohli have a role to play in Siraj's success. Here's what Kaneria said in a video on his YouTube channel:

"Mohammed Siraj is getting better and better. He was a bit wayward in the initial phase of his career, just like Umran Malik. He was overly reliant on the cross-seam delivery. However, he got better, thanks to his stint with RCB. Virat Kohli encouraged him a lot during his captaincy."

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#3 Dinesh Karthik

Veteran Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has shared a great camaraderie with Mohammed Siraj. Apart from being part of the Indian team, the duo share the same dressing room with RCB. Karthik claimed that he was Siraj's maiden first-class cricket and also went on to explain how the pacer has added the outswinger to his repertoire to become even more lethal.

Here's what Karthik said on Cricbuzz:

"The first wicket he ever got in first-class cricket was me. It was to a bouncer, a nasty one. But after that, it's not been his bouncer. It is the full ball. he has found a way to get great backspin on the ball, which he has been good at. But apart from just being an outswing bowler, he has also developed the scrambled seam. This is what has made him really potent in Test cricket."

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#2 Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra was delighted to see Siraj step up in the absence of senior pacers and take control as the leader of the Indian pace attack. He also spoke about how flat the pitch was and how that made Siraj's spell even more special.

Here's what Chopra had to say on his YouTube channel:

"It is a flat pitch and in such a case if Mohammed Siraj comes and picks up five wickets, you need to sing his praises. We saw Siraj’s reign in Trinidad. We saw him becoming the leader of the pack."

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#1 Courtney Walsh

Former legendary West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh also hailed Mohammed Siraj for his performance. He was impressed to see Siraj take the onus on himself to step up for India and bowl aggressively to ensure they take a massive first-innings lead.

Here's what Walsh had to say about Siraj on Jio Cinema:

"He knows he is the leader of the pace attack. They had a debutant in the attack. So he has put his hand up and said ‘listen, I am going to make sure I lead and the other bowlers follow’. Siraj took up the responsibility and he showed he is the leader of the pack in terms of the fast-bowling group. Not just because of the wickets he took, his whole approach, his game plan and the aggression he showed.”