A verbal duel from Day 2 of the Chattogram Test between Bangladesh middle-order batter Litton Das and Indian seamer Mohammad Siraj hogged the limelight. The players were seen having a go at each other before the pacer had the last laugh, dismissing the right-hander with a ball keeping low.
The verbal exchange was part of discussions even after the day’s play, as Siraj was asked at the post-day press conference what exactly did he tell Das that ruffled the batter’s feathers a little bit.
To this, Siraj revealed he told Das that he must be careful in the way he bats since “this is not T20 cricket“. On the very next ball, the right-arm quick got it to keep low and skid the ball through as it brushed the toe of Das’ willow and duly crashed onto the stumps.
“Nothing much. I just said that this is not T20 cricket, so you’ll have to play sensible cricket,”
Siraj revealed to have told Das the ball before getting him out in the 14th over of the Indian first-innings bowling effort.
The verbal duel was kickstarted by Siraj himself after Das made a defensive prod against him at the start of the over. The bowler advanced to the batter and, as he has now revealed, told him he should operate with more care since he isn’t playing T20 anymore and it’s a Test match.
To this, Das waited for Siraj to turn back to his mark and took a few steps towards the bowler, querying with his hand held on the ear as to what exactly is he on about.
That was the gesture repeated then by Siraj when he eventually got his man the next ball with a ball keeping low, brushing the toe on its way to the stumps.
The wicket reduced Bangladesh to a horrible 39 for 3 in response to India’s imposing 404. Siraj took one more wicket by the close of play in an impressive burst of three scalps with the new ball.
