A RevSportz Exclusive
With workload management dictating that Jasprit Bumrah sat out the Edgbaston and Oval Tests, Mohammed Siraj stepped up in a big way, taking match figures of 7-127 in the first game and 9-190 in the second. He was also the only quick bowler on either side to play all five Tests. In this exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, he spoke of how Test cricket motivates him, that dramatic final morning at The Oval, and what Virat Kohli taught him about aggression and working a crowd.
Boria: With so much being talked about workload management in recent time, how did Mohammed Siraj manage to play all five Tests, and bowl 186 overs?
Siraj: To be honest, I don’t know. But when you play for your country, you don’t think how it might affect your body so much as you think about doing it for your country. People like us have had one dream since childhood, and that is to be able to play for the country. And when that opportunity comes, we grab that opportunity with both hands. I am a believer in utilising whatever opportunities [we get] to play as many matches as possible for India, and try to win them.
Boria: Take us through those last two days at The Oval. From that dropped catch of Harry Brook to winning the match, it was a movie happening in real life. Tell us a bit about it.
Siraj: My first spell on the fourth day of the last Test went really well and Ollie Pope got out. I went out for one or two overs after that to change my T-shirt and then when I got back, the very next ball came to me. I tried catching it and lost balance, ended up losing the wicket of Harry Brook. It was a match-changing moment because that one wicket could have saved us from having a fifth day. Then the way Joe Root and Harry Brook batted, for once I thought that the match is out of our hands. But I did not react to that or the lost catch because I was the senior bowler there.
Just tried focussing on the present because I couldn’t get back what was lost. Prasidh (Krishna) came next and bowled really well to get (Jacob) Bethell and Joe Root out. Also, Akash Deep got Harry Brook, which again came to me. Next day, I felt that there are 35 runs [to get] and four wickets, and I’ll be able to do it. I don’t know how, but I knew I’ll be able to pull it off. I slept around 11 o’clock at night and woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning. I couldn’t sleep after that. I went on to Google and got a Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper that said ‘Believe’. Then somehow, later in the day, by God‘s grace I was able to execute the belief I had earlier that I would be able to pull it off.
Boria: I had a conversation with Akash Deep, where he mentioned that “Siraj looked very different that day” and “induced in us an extreme belief that we will be able to do it”. Can you tell me about this leadership role that you played in this whole series?
Siraj: When I get an opportunity to shoulder responsibility, even if you look at a mundane series, my performance always grows. Responsibility gives me a different kind of joy, and boosts my confidence. I told you at Edgbaston that people are talking about me, and it’s time to make all that talk stop. I usually am very aware of what I’m doing, and do not pay heed to what people are saying because people do not know my struggle. Despite that, I thought it’s time to stop such talk because it was getting too much. With Jassi Bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) not being there due to his back injury and his workload being managed, I tried my bit to keep the positivity in the bowling unit. Whenever I was talking to my teammates, Akash Deep and all, I was trying to spread the belief that we can do it. We can repeat what we have done already.
Boria: 186 overs. That’s already a lot . If required, would you have been able to bowl for longer?
Siraj: Hundred percent I could’ve played even if there was another Test match.
Boria: Were you not tired?
Siraj: No, it is my priority. I can do anything for Test cricket. I like the way Test cricket throws the toughest challenges and struggles at us, just like life does. Test cricket gives mental fatigue, emotional fatigue, body tiredness et cetera, but that is the challenge that I love most about it. You can have one bad spell and you better yourself in the next. In Test cricket, we get another innings to make a comeback, just like life where we get chances to better ourselves every day. I like and enjoy these facts about Test cricket, and just want to give my hundred percent without thinking much about my performance being good or bad.
Boria: The passion that we usually see from Virat Kohli pumping up the team is something we saw in you this time. Tell us a bit about the bonding with Virat from 2021 to now? Also about the way you react on the field, and the way you take the team forward.
Siraj: I’ve learned this one particular thing from Virat Kohli, and that is his fighting approach in the game. Off the field, he would be talking very nicely, but on the ground, the opposition is the enemy for him. I like this thing about him. And my bowling comes from aggression. If I do not show that on ground, I won’t be able bowl well. I have been with Virat Kohli in RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and have had a good bonding with him. Fast bowlers should have aggression on field, and Virat Kohli has more aggression on field than bowlers.
In that last Test at The Oval, when Brook and Root were having a good partnership, we had a bit of a shoulder-dropping moment. But then, I encouraged everyone and we went ahead to get the upper hand in the form of the wicket of Root. I have also learned to take crowd support from Virat. Support of the crowd, for a bowler, can make a big difference and get the bowler flying with confidence.
Boria: From Gabba to The Oval. How do you look at this cinematic journey of Mohammed Siraj?
Siraj: It is an honour really, and a dream come true. That time, Dad passed away and I wasn’t sure whether I will debut in Australia or not because three fast bowlers were already there and the fourth was an all-rounder. Still, Dad’s dream came true, of me being there and representing my country and winning as well in that situation. I did not quite know what was happening. We were quarantined for 14 days and I didn’t get to play the first Test. Then, I played the second where Shami bhai (Mohammed Shami) got injured.
They (the Aussies) have never been beaten at The Gabba (since 1988) so there was a very strong pride on their part already. And performing there with only three seniors (Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara), and mostly young players in the team was a tough thing. So the win was special, and then The Oval as well. Overall, I’m very happy that I was involved in that team and could perform. I consider myself very lucky to be honest.
Boria: Can you describe that moment of Gus Atkinson’s wicket?
Siraj: The one over that I bowled before that, he had a swing at a yorker of mine. So, in such cases the batsman thinks that the next would be a length ball. And the last time (I bowled that), it went for a sixer. When I was doing my run-up, I was planning and deciding on my bowling style. There were only six runs left and one sixer could have taken the match away from us, so I wanted to get him bowled out. The way I played the ball in my mind and wanted it to be, was exactly the way it behaved. It was an unreal feeling when it hit the wicket exactly as I wanted it to. It was unbelievable cricket, and the result of the hard work of five Test matches was finally received on that last day. Knowing that I have done it gave me a very relaxed feeling internally.
Boria: A word on Shubman (Gill) and a bit about the bond you share with him.
Siraj: Shubman and I have been together for a long time. We have played India A. We have spent time off the field as well. We made our Test debuts together at the MCG, and also became ODI No. 1 (ICC rankings) at the same time. We have a lot of memories together. He’s also the captain of Gujarat Titans. We bat at the nets together and keep talking. I keep telling him that you’re my bunny. Our understanding is very easy and it reflects on the field. He understands what I want, what I don’t and vice versa.
I am really proud of his growth as a captain, and now that he is the vice-captain for the Asia Cup as well, I would definitely want him to bring the trophy back. All the best to him and the team.
Boria: How was the experience this time going back home after the series?
Siraj: It was different this time. Everyone has watched the matches, people were appreciating my performance and recognising me more. Mom’s reaction was totally different. She was like, “You have no idea what you have done, and may God keep blessing you in this way and keep you safe and strong.” No matter what I have achieved till now, I do not want to forget my roots. Visiting Hyderabad is always a peaceful experience for me, and I try to stay the same person that I was with my friends and everyone before.
Boria: Always great talking to you.
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