Former India chief selector MSK Prasad has opined that pacer Mohammed Siraj has been at the top of his form and he will play an important role in their upcoming South Africa tour. However, he didn’t play in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur but he returned to the second Test in Mumbai and ended up being the only pace bowler from both sides to take wickets. He picked up three scalps to his name as well.

However, Siraj had made his Test debut in Australia earlier this year and ended up claiming 13 scalps. And, Prasad shared that the Indian team did a “mistake” by not playing him in the first Test against New Zealand, adding that the Virat Kohli-led side missed a trick by not playing him in home conditions as well.

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“I think he is the third in the order and he is giving a run for the money for the 1st and 2nd slots (in the pace attack) also with the kind of performances he has put in. In all fairness, it will be Bumrah, Shami and Siraj will be the third pacer by default. Even the Indian team missed a trick by not playing in the first Test match (against New Zealand in Kanpur),” MSK Prasad told India Today.

However, Team India has a strong pace attack with the likes of  Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Ishant Sharma as well. And now, India are slated to play a three-match Test series in South Africa, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion on December 26, whereas the other two matches will be played in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.

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“Now, having two seniors at home is a little difficult. You could have gone with Siraj and Ishant or Siraj and Umesh. You need that youthful exuberance. I feel that was a mistake for the Kanpur Test,” MSK Prasad concluded.