One of the essential pacers for India, Mohammad Siraj, wasn’t in song at home during the 2024 season as he picked up just six wickets in four games against Bangladesh and New Zealand, besides being dropped for the fixture in Pune. The right-arm pacer was missing the line and length to earn the rewards, which he was doing perfectly at the start of his Test career.
Mohammad Siraj has collected 85 Test scalps in 32 innings at an average of just below 30 and a strike rate of around 53 with the help of five four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/15 in an innings. But there were questions on his selection for the opening Test in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
The veteran wasn’t able to dominate in the spin-friendly conditions, as he started to think deeply about his dry spell and got upset with his consistent performances.
“I could feel that I was not enjoying my bowling. As a person, I am someone who gets a different feeling when I am enjoying my bowling, even if I am not getting wickets. And now, when I was not getting wickets, I went a bit deep into why I was not getting them.” The Hyderabad-born expressed to ESPNcricinfo after their pink-ball warm-up fixture against the Prime Minister’s XI, which they won by five wickets.
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“In India, you know that spinners bowl most of the overs, so there it is a little tough to get wickets in the five overs [you get as a fast bowler]. So I just became a bit upset about why I was not getting wickets. But now I am having a lot of fun.” Mohammad Siraj added.
Mohammad Siraj excited for his very first pink-ball Test
The right-arm pace bowler enjoyed the pacy and bouncy conditions of Perth, ending with a figure of 2/20 in 13 overs in the first innings, followed by 3/51 in 14 overs in the second. With 13 scalps in the last trip, he helped the Indian side seal an inspirational series win with a memorable victory at the Gabba.
Siraj worked with the former bowling coach of the side, Bharat Arun, and recalled how the latter advised him to enjoy the bowling and not to chase wickets at the time.
“I spoke with Bharat Arun sir, that this is what’s happening with me. Because he has known me for a while and he has seen my bowling from a long time back. So he just told me to enjoy and not run after wickets. Just enjoy, and you will get wickets. Before traveling, I met [fielding coach] Dilip sir in Hyderabad, and we practiced together as well. So it felt good, and now I am enjoying.” Mohammad Siraj highlighted.
The focus for the blue brigade has shifted towards the day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval. The history wasn’t good for the side, who were rolled over for just 36 in their second innings of the game.
“This is different to the red ball we play with. There can be a bit of confusion due to the ball, but it is just one match, so we just have to focus on that and practice for it, and we will improve day by day. The seam is very hard. It is bright and quite big. The more you practice with it, the better you get.” Mohammad Siraj, who picked up two wickets in the two-day warm-up contest, shed light.
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“I have heard that the ball swings a lot under the lights, but I have not yet bowled with it under the lights. So when we go to Adelaide and practice, we will try that. And the more practice we get, we will know more about what we have to do.” The pacer concluded.
Mohammad Siraj has enjoyed bowling in Australia always because of how the fast tracks inspire the pacers to bowl the fastest and gain wickets as the reward.
