By Trisha Ghosal in Manchester
Mohammed Siraj has brushed off any mystery around his tireless energy with the ball. Speaking to the media two days before the fourth Test against England, India’s tireless fast bowler says his only goal is to save his best for the country.
“Playing for India is all the energy I need”
“There’s no secret. When you play for your country, that’s the biggest motivation. My only goal is to give everything on the field, no regrets, no ‘what-ifs’ when I go to bed,” he said.
“Lord’s still hurts, I felt invincible with the bat”
Siraj admitted the heartbreak of India’s narrow defeat in the third Test at Lord’s still lingers. “When I was batting, I genuinely felt like I couldn’t get out. That confidence was real. I kept thinking, if I do get out, it’ll only be my mistake and then it happened,” he said quietly. “We could’ve won that match. That loss stung.”
He added that the close margin, just 22 runs, was a motivator. “After the match, everyone just said, ‘Good fight.’ At one point, we looked like losing by 80. We took it deep. That fight mattered.”
“Not getting 5-fors? Frustrating, but I stay grounded”
Despite bowling with heart and hostility, Siraj hasn’t found more than one big haul in this series. “Yeah, it’s frustrating. You keep beating the bat and nothing happens. But I trust my process. I believe God is watching. If not today, the wickets will come tomorrow.”
“We all learned from Stokes spell”
Siraj praised Ben Stokes’ 10-over spell at Lord’s. “It was an incredible effort. The match was on a knife’s edge. There’s no shame in learning from the opposition. We’re all trying to win for our team.”
“No script for sledging, just instinct and fun”
Asked about the verbal volleys at Lord’s, Siraj grinned. “There’s no pre-planning. It happens in the moment. If a batter’s in the zone, you try to disturb him and get into his head. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But as a fast bowler, it’s fun.”
Will it happen again this week? “Maybe. Depends on the situation. A little bit of chatter can shake things up.”
“The ball has been poor, goes soft too early”
Siraj was candid about one major concern: the ball. “Compared to 2021, this year’s ball is disappointing. After 10 overs, it goes soft. You lose backspin, it’s harder to attack. But conditions won’t always be perfect, we adjust.”
“Responsibility makes me sharper”
With Jasprit Bumrah rested or missing at times, Siraj often leads the attack. “I feel proud. Even in 2023, I was India’s top wicket-taker when Bumrah wasn’t around. That responsibility brings the best out of me.”
And with the series now 2-1 in England’s favour, Siraj has only one thing on his mind: “It’s not over. We’ll fight. That’s what we do.”
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