Mohammad Siraj | Hyderabad, August 9: Mohammed Siraj has a knack for setting the cricket field on fire, with both his bowling and his temperament. The hero of India’s five Test triumph over England, Siraj not only finished as the series’ highest wicket-taker but also delivered the knockout blow in the final match.
But his aggression doesn’t stop with the opposition. He’s been known to give an earful to his own teammates, all in the name of winning. In the Oval Test, he lost his cool with Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill after a missed run-out chance. And as Ajinkya Rahane remembers, he’s been on the receiving end too.
Rahane, who led India to the historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia in 2020-21, Siraj’s debut series, recalls that moment vividly.
Mohammad Siraj Fire:
“One thing I’ll always admire about Siraj is his readiness to bowl long, punishing spells. In Australia, his intensity never dipped. But once, he actually got angry with me for bringing him on late to bowl. That’s Siraj for you, aggressive, passionate, and driven. This fire brings out his best. We saw the same against England, he sends a warning with the very first ball,” Rahane said.
And the numbers back it up. In the England series, Siraj bowled more overs than anyone else,185.3 in total, sending down 1,113 deliveries and covering over 31 kilometres on the pitch. That’s 10 km more than an Olympic half-marathon.
Siraj played all five Tests in the series, just as he had stepped up in Australia in 2020, where he bowled 134.2 overs in three matches, took 13 wickets, and led India’s attack.
Relentless, fiery, and unafraid to even scold his captain, that’s Mohammed Siraj. And for India, that’s a very good thing.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates
