WATCH: Morne Morkel and Mohammed Siraj's funny exchange at team's practice session

New Delhi: Indian pace bowler Mohammed Siraj and bowling coach Morne Morkel shared a light-hearted moment during a practice session at the WACA Ground in Perth. The session, which was part of a three-day match simulation, was captured by the BCCI and shared on social media, giving fans a sneak peek into the team's training preparations.

In a special video, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and Morne Morkel discussed the team’s intense three-day practice, highlighting the hard work put in by the players. As Morkel detailed the day’s proceedings on camera, Mohammad Siraj humorously crept up behind him, listening intently. Morkel noticed the seamer a few seconds later, affectionately calling him a ‘legend’ and emphasizing his crucial role in the upcoming series. View this post on Instagram

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“This man is a legend. He’s got a big heart, aggressive mindset, one of the leaders of the attack and I’m very excited to see how he goes in this tour. Last tour, he was the go-to man in tough situations and we’re excited to see more of that senior role coming out in him on a very important tour,” said Morkel in a video released by the BCCI.

Siraj had a standout series during the 2020-21 tour of Australia, making his Test debut in the second Test in Melbourne. He showed immense resilience, as he played through the emotional hardship of losing his father before the series and was unable to return home due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The right-arm seamer finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in the series, claiming 13 wickets from six innings at an average of 29.53 and an economy rate of 2.85. His standout performance came in the second innings of the fourth Test in Brisbane, where he took a five-wicket haul to dismiss Australia for 294.

Morkel further mentioned that team India is on track with their preparations ahead of the first Test, which is set to begin on November 22 in Perth.

“Yeah, I think we’re on track for 22nd. So another three training sessions left. We’ll sit down this afternoon or tomorrow and start planning and looking at game plans and how we’re going to bring out the best in each and every one for game time on the 22nd,” said Morkel.