SHIVAMOGGA: Mohammed Siraj was warming up to bowl in the nets on the eve of Hyderabad's Ranji Trophy contest against Karnataka when the opposition players informed him about his maiden national team call up for the T20 series against New Zealand next month. Siraj gave away little in terms of emotions as he went through the paces.There were no over-the-top-celebration because the 23-year-old was 'expecting' a berth in the team. Before the IPL bonanza, the youngster had picked up 41wickets in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season, playing a pivotal role as they entered the knockouts. "During his stint with the India A team, coached by former India skipper Rahul Dravid, Siraj was advised by Dravid to stick to his natural game. "I would like to thank Bharat (Arun) sir who believed in me and motivated me to do well in the Ranji Trophy.

Source: Times of India October 24, 2017 02:21 UTC