India’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj admitted he bowls at his best when he has the right rhythm under his belt. Siraj said the long breaks doesn’t help his body after the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone. The fast bowler looked toothless in the first innings, going wicketless after bowling 25 overs for 140 runs at an economy rate of 5.60.
Siraj bowled around the 125 kmph, just like he did in the Test series against Sri Lanka. However, the fast bowler from Hyderabad came up with an improved performance in the second innings, returning with figures of 1-47 in 16 overs he bowled. The fast bowled accounted for East Zone’s opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.
In the second essay, Siraj was bowling around the 135 kmph mark and looked in better rhythm.
“I’m purely a rhythm bowler,” Siraj said after the Duleep Trophy final at Chepauk on Thursday. “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, in the second Test match against Sri Lanka, India fielded for more than three days. Without much break in between, Siraj joined South Zone for the Duleep Trophy final, which was played in scorching Chennai heat.
“We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three-and-a-half days fielding in the second Test, and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai’s sweltering heat,” Siraj said. “But for me, it comes down to passion. When you’re representing your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give every bit of your effort for your team and nation. Even if I didn’t get the wickets to show for it today, that hard work will pay off at the international level.”
Siraj will be seen in action in the two-match Test series against New Zealand
