Siraj Receives Royal Treatment in Dugout After Grueling Spell Against West Indies

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had a taxing day on the field as India toiled in sweltering heat during Day 4 of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. After completing a tough six-over spell in the post-lunch session, Siraj returned to the Indian dugout, where he received some much-needed relief—an ice bag placed on his head and a soothing foot massage from the physiotherapist.

The moment, captured on camera, quickly caught fans’ attention online and drew an amusing remark from former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who was on commentary duty. “What we see right now—the fast bowlers being treated like kings after a hard spell. It’s the same case everywhere,” Karthik said, adding humorously, “We’ve got to be careful when we do that with Bish (Ian Bishop) in the com box too—the ice on the head helps to calm him down at times, just like for Siraj.”

Siraj’s brief break came after a demanding spell on a sluggish subcontinental surface that offered little assistance to the pacers. Despite the tough conditions, the Indian bowling unit produced a collective effort to bowl out the West Indies for 390, setting India a modest target of 121 runs. Siraj finished with 2 for 43 in 15 overs, complementing Jasprit Bumrah’s 3 for 44 and Kuldeep Yadav’s 3 for 104. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also chipped in with key wickets.

Also Read: DRS Controversy: Bumrah Frustrated as John Campbell Survives on Review

By stumps, India had reached 63 for 1, needing just 58 more runs for a 2-0 series sweep. Openers KL Rahul (25)* and Sai Sudharsan (30)* looked composed in the middle after Yashasvi Jaiswal (8) fell early. With victory well within sight, the focus briefly shifted from the scorecard to Siraj’s well-deserved “royal” treatment—a light-hearted reminder of the gruelling demands placed on India’s pace attack under testing conditions.

Also Read: Shubman Gill’s India Enter 1st Test Against Struggling West Indies as Clear Favourites