Mohammed Siraj Reveals What Went Wrong With His Bowling Speed
Mohammed Siraj had his pace dipped down to 125 to 130 kmph in the Duleep Trophy final. Even though this game came as a practice for him, he was unable to perform at his usual rhythm. After the match, Siraj opened up on the issues he faced and how he will be overcoming them in the coming months.
The Duleep Trophy final saw various players getting praises for their performances. But only one of them faced some questions related to the same, and it was Mohammed Siraj. A player who usually bowls above 140 kmph, was unable to touch the 130 kmph speed mark in this game.
After the final match came to an end, Siraj decided to open up on the same. He said, “I'm purely a rhythm bowler. If I'm not in sync, I can't explode through the crease. That was the struggle in Sri Lanka - my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace.”
He also talked about the rare two month break which caused such issues. Siraj said, “Every bowler's body is different, but mine doesn't handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off. I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward.”
Our Take
Mohammed Siraj didn't lie when he said that he never took a two month off in his ten year career. But ahead of the series against Sri Lanka, the BCCI decided to give him rest and keep him ready for the Test matches. Unfortunately, that didn't work out in the boards way, as Siraj is now looking for ways in which he would be able to find his form back in the game.