Sydney Test: Mohammed Siraj Reveals Reason Behind His Tears During National Anthem on Day 1

Video and images of Siraj fighting back tears went viral on social media before the start of the play.

Young India fast bowler revealed the reason why he got emotional during the national anthem on Day 1 of the third Test against Australia in Sydney. Siraj was seen in tears ahead of the Sydney Test during the national anthem as the moment grabbed massive limelight and went viral on social media.

Siraj said that his late father’s memory made him emotional and suddenly the tears came into his eyes.

Video and images of Siraj fighting back tears went viral on social media before the start of the play.

“During the national anthem, I just remembered my father. That is why I felt a bit emotional. Dad always wanted to see me play Test cricket. If he would have been alive, he would have seen me,” said Siraj after the end of the first day’s play which saw Australia score 166/2.

Mohammed Siraj on why he got so emotional while the National Anthem was being played at the SCG.#TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zo0Wc8h14A

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2021

Siraj lost his father last month. The pacer could not perform the last rites of his late father as he had already landed in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He couldn’t return to home due to COVID-19 restrictions. Siraj’s father Mohammed Ghaus was an auto-rickshaw driver in Hyderabad and died on November 20 due to lung ailment.

The pace bowler was given the option of returning home to attend the burial of his father but decided to stay back as the entire process of going back and returning would have involved quarantine periods.

Earlier, Siraj’s brother Ismail also talked about their late father’s dream to see Siraj play for the country in Tests. Siraj fulfilled the dream when he made his Test debut on December 26 at MCG.

“It was my (late) father’s dream that Siraj should represent India in Tests … he always wanted to see him (Siraj) in blue and white jersey to represent the nation, so our dream got fulfilled today,” Ismail told PTI