Siraj visits father's grave directly after returning from Australia

Mohammed Siraj was in Australia for the Gabba Test Series when his father passed away on November 20.

Mohammed Siraj, one of the Indian cricket players who played in full swing in the Gabba Test Series to grab the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by taking 13 wickets in 3 Tests (maximum number of wickets taken amongst Indian bowlers), reached Hyderabad airport on Thursday and went directly to his father's grave to mourn his death and offer prayers.

Siraj had gone for the Brisbane series when his father, Mohammed Ghouse, 53, who was an auto-driver, passed away on November 20 due to a lung ailment. At the time of his death, Siraj was busy with practice sessions in Sydney and the coach Ravi Shastri told him about the tragedy. However, Siraj who was deeply saddened by the loss, decided to stay back with the team and fulfill his father's dream.

"I lost the biggest supporter of my life. He was the person who supported me the most in my pursuit of a cricket career. It's a great loss for me," Siraj had said. He spent some time at his father's grave and laid flowers and offered prayers.

Very few knew about the difficult times that Siraj was going through at that time but he gathered all his strength and contributed in the team's efforts to emerge victorious. Even the racial slurs that were passed on during the match did not weaken his will to defeat the opponent team. His commendable performance in the series is a result of his hard work and dedication.