In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah who returned to Indian team in the last part of 2023 , one bowler who rose to the ranks from being a debutant to India ‘s main strike bowler over a year or two was Mohammed Siraj. A lanky fast bowler Mohammed Siraj from the streets of Hyderabad rose to fame after his five wickets haul at the historic Gabba test in 2020-21 which was his debut in Indian colors.
Post that in the conditions that suited swing bowling , Mohammed Siraj with his immaculate length and ability to swing the balls both ways grew in great strides in all formats of the game thus becoming India’s spearhead in Bumrah’s absence.
His heroics on his day were incomparable be it a spell which rattled the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL that propelled AB De Villiers to grant him the nickname “Miyan Magic” or the fiery and blazing spell vs Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final 2023 where he single handedly was instrumental in bowling out the Lankans for paltry 50 runs by grabbing 6 wickets for just 21 runs shows the hunger and the talent Mohammed Siraj possess on his given day.
However in the first test match versus South Africans on a Centurion pitch Indian bowlers produced more lackluster and shambolic performance on the pitch that supported considerable swing alongside pace and bounce were the performances of Indian bowlers who were unable to extract any in compared to their counterparts who ripped aside the Indian batting line up comprising of the mixture of youth and experience seasoned players.
Such was the wayward performance of Indian bowlers except Bumrah that South Africa even without the services of Captain Temba Bavuma who did not bat due to hamstring injury sustained in the match racked up a mountain of runs 408 for 9 wickets to be precise after bundling India for 245 runs thanks to century from KL Rahul and taking the lead of 163 runs in their first Innings.
The support from the likes of Shardul Thakur and debutant Prasidh Krishna was so mediocre that they ended up considering almost 200 runs under 40 overs which provided SA the impetus to score runs freely. The bowlers bowled wayward line and lengths to allow SA batters go for their shots at free will thus were unsuccessful in creating any kind of pressure on them. Mohammed Siraj was also unable to find his lengths right in match which South Africa handed India a shambolic defeat.
However things do changed for Mohammad Siraj on Wednesday the 3rd when on the Green Newlands pitch which supported fast bowlers suited his style and accuracy in the morning session after the hosts decided to bat, Siraj wrecked havoc in the SA batting line up by taking wickets at will and displaying his bowling skills to the fullest. This was instrumental in India bundling out South Africa for a meagre 55 runs in the 1st innings on the day where record 23 wickets are fallen. Siraj produced his best figures of 6 for 19.
I wanted to hit one area consistently- Mohammed Siraj
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was on a roll on Wednesday, January 3, as he picked up sensational figures of 6-15 on Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town.
Siraj’s incredible spell ensured that the hosts were bundled out for just 55 inside the first session, handing the Indians an opportunity to get into the driver’s seat. After the end of play on Day 1, Mohammad Siraj, opened up on what he has worked on to improve from his underwhelming showing in the first Test:
“I realised what I missed in the last game and wanted to compensate, and I executed my plans accordingly. I wanted to hit one area consistently, and I did that and got rewarded for it. Wicket looks quite similar to Centurion,” said Mohammed Siraj.
“We (him and Jasprit Bumrah) bowled in partnerships and bowled many maidens, unlike last Test match. Bowling so many maidens did create pressure,” he added.
Mohammed Siraj on importance of keeping things simple
Indian speedster Mohammed Siraj explained how a bowler can get carried away by seeing considerable help on the surface. He feels it’s important for bowlers to hold their nerves and focus on the basics of putting the ball in the right areas:
“On these wickets, where the ball is doing so much, often bowlers tend to think, ‘let me try and bowl an outswinger darting from leg to off or get one to bend back from angle but one should just stick to one line. If you hit areas, wickets will come automatically, if you try many things, you yourself can get confused,” said Mohammed Siraj.
India are ahead by 36 runs after an astonishing day’s play that saw 23 wickets falling, with the tourists getting bowled out for 153 and South Africa reaching stumps at 62-3. Siraj will be keen to not look too far ahead and focus on getting early wickets as the Test looks poised for an early finish and India aiming to draw level the 2 match series 1-1 to their credit.