BGT 2024-25: Siraj Rediscovering His Love for Bowling Following Challenging Home Stint
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Canberra, Dec 1 (NationPress) Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has regained his enthusiasm for bowling after experiencing a challenging home season that culminated in just six wickets across four Tests.
Siraj achieved five wickets in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in Perth, followed by securing one wicket in India’s six-wicket victory during the pink-ball warm-up match against the Australian Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
"I sensed that I wasn't enjoying my bowling," he remarked after the tour match in Canberra.
"As an individual, I experience a distinct feeling when I am enjoying my bowling, even if wickets are not coming my way. When I wasn't getting wickets, I delved into the reasons behind it. In India, since spinners dominate the bowling, it becomes challenging to claim wickets in the limited five to six overs allotted to fast bowlers. Consequently, I became a bit disheartened about my lack of wickets. However, now I am having immense fun."
Siraj disclosed that he consulted former India bowling coach Bharat Arun before embarking on the tour to realign his game for the red-ball format.
"I spoke with Bharat Arun sir about my situation. He has been familiar with my journey and has observed my bowling for quite some time. He advised me to enjoy the game and not chase wickets. Just enjoy, and the wickets will follow. Before I left, I also met with Dilip sir, our fielding coach, in Hyderabad, and we trained together, which felt great, and now I'm relishing the experience," the pacer explained.
"Morne (Morkel, India’s current bowling coach) keeps reminding me, 'You are a warrior. You will secure wickets for us, but focus on enjoying your bowling.'"
Discussing his experience with the pink ball, Siraj acknowledged that getting used to it would take some time.
"This pink ball has a synthetic texture. It's different from the red ball we typically use. There might be some confusion due to the ball, but since it’s just one match, we need to stay focused and practice to improve day by day. The seam is quite hard, and it's bright and larger in size. The more we practice with it, the better we become," Siraj stated.
"I believe that with the pink ball, it’s more effective to bowl back of a length. When you pitch it up, there isn't much swing, so focusing on hitting the deck and inducing seam movement will yield better results for us.
"I've heard that the ball swings a lot under lights, but I haven't bowled with it during those conditions yet. When we reach Adelaide and practice, we will explore that, and with more practice, we will gain insights on our approach," he added.
Jasprit Bumrah excelled in Perth, while Siraj and Harshit Rana, who took four wickets in six balls at Manuka Oval with short-pitched deliveries, continued to apply pressure from the other end. They aim to replicate their performance in Adelaide when the series continues next Friday with a day-night Test.
"I constantly communicate with Jassi bhai (Bumrah)," Siraj said. "Even before the first match, I confided in him about my struggles. He told me one thing: don’t chase wickets; just maintain consistent bowling in one area and enjoy it. If wickets still elude me, I can reach out to him. So, I enjoyed my bowling and ended up taking wickets as well," Siraj shared.
"Australia is a fantastic place for a fast bowler because you get pace and bounce. As a fast bowler, you receive everything you desire. This environment instills a different level of confidence, allowing you to relish your bowling experience here."
