Just when India needed him most, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj recently shared his heartfelt chat with colleague Jasprit Bumrah, which turned his life around.
Following a difficult time during which he struggled in series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, Siraj felt depressed and disheartened by his lacklustre performance. The quick bowler, who was born in Hyderabad, was looking for direction after being dropped from the starting lineup. The No. 1 rated Test bowler, Bumrah, gave him some guidance that was the catalyst for his breakthrough.
I’m constantly chatting with Jassi bhai (Bumrah). I talked to him about my situation even before the first game. The only thing he taught me was to enjoy bowling and to maintain bowling consistently in one location rather than running (chasing) after wickets. Come ask me if you’re still not getting wickets. Therefore, I had fun bowling and even took wickets,” Siraj stated, as cited by the ICC.
Australia is a popular destination for pacers: Mohammed Siraj
This discussion was worthwhile, as it resulted in a spectacular comeback in Perth, where Siraj took five vital wickets in the first Test match against Australia. At the WACA Ground in Perth, Siraj regained his form after taking just two wickets in the series against New Zealand.
“A fast bowler likes Australia because it offers bounce and pace. You can acquire anything you want as a fast bowler. Thus, you have a new level of confidence to come and have fun bowling here,” he continued.
His impressive seven-wicket showing against South Africa in Cape Town earlier in 2024 was the last time he had taken five wickets. More significantly, it happened at a crucial moment as the visitors try to qualify for Lord’s for the World Test Championship Final.
The team’s focus is now on Adelaide, where India will play their first pink-ball Test match in Australia since they were dismissed for just 36 runs in the disastrous 2020 series. Matt Renshaw was taken out by Siraj during the warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI.
“I believe it’s preferable to bowl back of length when using the pink ball. It will be better for us if you hit the deck more and get it to seam because when you pitch it up, there is less swing,” Siraj continued.
The speedster was outspoken about how difficult it is to play the Pink Ball Test. He disclosed that he has not yet bowled with the pink ball under the lights and that he is eager for the practice session before the Test match, which starts on December 6.
Although I haven’t bowled with it under lights yet, I’ve heard that the ball swings a lot. We will attempt it when we practise in Adelaide. And we’ll understand what we need to accomplish better the more we practise.”
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