Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is confident that he will perform well in the two-Test series against World Test Championship (WTC) defending champions South Africa starting here from Friday.

India is currently at third place in the WTC points table. They had tied the five-Test series 2-2 in England before defeating the West Indies in two Test matches at home at the start of this cycle.

On the other hand, South Africa started their campaign to defend their World Test Championship title with a 1-1 draw in the Test series against Pakistan.

Siraj said on Geostar, “This series is important for the new WTC cycle, especially because South Africa is the defending champion. Even though they drew the series 1-1 against Pakistan, we are confident of our good form. We have created a positive environment. We performed well in England and won against West Indies.

Siraj performed brilliantly in the five-match Test series against England and was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 23 wickets. He continued his excellent form against West Indies and took 10 wickets in two matches.

He said, “I am bowling with good rhythm and trying to take full advantage of it.” Facing strong teams helps identify areas that need improvement and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.