Mohammed Siraj was the leader of the pace attack as India underwhelmed South Africa in the three-match series to win it by a 2-1 margin. After losing the first game, the Men in Blue bounced back in the next two fixtures to win the rubber.
Siraj returned with five wickets in the series and was economical in the last two games. He looked a lot fitter and bowled the right line and length throughout the series to make a case for himself as the selection committee is yet to name Jasprit Bumrah‘s replacement.
Speaking at the end of the series, Mohammed Siraj revealed that he wanted to bowl according to the wicket. He also opened up that he is trying a certain length with the new ball, which has so far worked in his favour.
“I wanted to bowl according to the wicket. The ball was staying a bit low in the last match. My plan was to bowl on hard lengths since it is not easy to hit those deliveries. So I just wanted to bowl with pace on hard lengths. If the batter manages to hit it from there, then no worries,” Siraj said.
“For the new ball, I have been working on the five to six-meter length and for the older ball, eight meters. The wicket was slow in Ranchi, so the slower balls were effective. Hence, I was hitting the eight-meter line,” he added.
Great fight, great effort #TeamIndia 🇮🇳 See you soon, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/xSZJ95Rnqf
— Mohammed Siraj (@mdsirajofficial) October 9, 2022
“I had to take the responsibility” – Mohammed Siraj
In the absence of senior cricketers, Mohammed Siraj admitted that he had to shoulder responsibilities and he passed it with flying colours. He was also awarded the Player of the Series award for his exceptional bowling performance.
“Performing against a good team gives you a lot of confidence. I had to take responsibility. I try to figure out the right lengths at the start of the innings. As a fast bowler, you need that fire and passion inside you. Happy with my performance,” Siraj added.
Mohammed Siraj is likely to be on the reserve list for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, starting from October 16.
Written by Gulshan Kumar
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