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Mohammed Siraj Points Finger At Ben Duckett As Verbal Duel Heats Up On Day 2 In Manchester

Kaushik Kashyap

Mohammed Siraj vs Ben Duckett. [Source - StarSports/x.com]Mohammed Siraj vs Ben Duckett. [Source - StarSports/x.com]

In a dramatic turn of events, Ben Duckett and Mohammed Siraj were involved in a heated moment during the third session on Day 2 of the Manchester Test, adding spice to an already intense contest. England’s commanding start with the bat put India under pressure, and emotions came out when Duckett’s aggressive approach pushed Siraj to respond with words and fire.

Duckett’s Dominance and Siraj’s Outburst Highlights Day 2

Duckett, who has had the upper hand against Siraj in this series so far, scoring 74 runs at a strike-rate of 89.2, took the attack to the pacer once again on Day 2 in Manchester. The southpaw’s fluent stroke-play, combined with a solid 166-run opening stand alongside Zak Crawley, seemed to test India’s patience.

The frustration boiled over when Siraj was seen exchanging words mid-over, even with Duckett at the non-striker’s end. At one point, Siraj pointed towards Duckett, who did not hold back and responded with a few words as well before the umpire stepped in.

The brief flare-up ended with Duckett turning back to the proceedings. This is not the first time the two players had an animated face-off, but on this occasion, Duckett completely dominated the proceedings with a well-made 94, narrowly missing out on his second century of the series. His dismissal came courtesy of debutant Anshul Kamboj, who claimed his maiden Test wicket in style.

Siraj Endures Tough Day as England Build Towards Big Total

After bowling India out for 358 in the first innings, England, riding high on the back of the 166-run opening partnership between Duckett and Crawley, ended the day in a strong position at 225 for 2. Joe Root and Ollie Pope are unbeaten, continuing to frustrate the Indian attack.

Siraj, who had a tough outing with figures of 0/58 from 10 overs, will be keen to bounce back on Day 3 and help India claw their way back into the game before England extends their first-innings score and get to a huge lead.