Fast bowler needs pace and bounce: Siraj embraces New Zealand challenge

Mohammed Siraj put in the hard yards in the Ranji Trophy for Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

Every fast bowler has a run-up that begins long before the first stride. Mohammed Siraj’s began in Hyderabad, took him to his India debut against New Zealand in November 2017, and has now carried him, nine years later, to that country again.

Siraj, 32, is now a senior statesman. As if to remind himself of the road travelled, he stopped at the start of it: two Ranji Trophy matches as Hyderabad captain, two emphatic wins over Tripura and Andhra, and a final tune-up at the Gymkhana under the watchful eyes of T. Dilip, the former India fielding coach.

“I am very excited to play in New Zealand because a fast bowler needs grass and bounce. It will be very challenging because there will be a lot of swing. My plan will be simple: enjoy the experience,” Siraj told Sportstar.

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If there is one thing he is wary of before a big assignment, it is idleness. His body, he has made it clear, does not take kindly to rest. The two back-to-back games for Hyderabad, tiring as they were, felt more like a gift than a burden.

“The first few sessions were about making him realise that he doesn’t need to do anything different as he has been successful at the international level. But when you have a long graph, there will be ups and downs. How you pick yourself up mentally is the most important,” Dilip told Sportstar.

Dilip, now Mumbai Indians’ fielding coach, revealed he had nudged Siraj to look back on what he is capable of.

“Siraj is generally someone who can bowl at 140kmph and has the ability to bowl long spells. We all know that he is a fighter where one odd error on the field or one odd bad over doesn’t affect him because he always comes back harder. I just made him realise those aspects as a quick recap is necessary. We just went through some of his spells from before and videos of a few previous performances to revisit what he had done and where he was mentally then. Besides that, we made little tweaks to his run-up and adjustments that will help him get back rhythm,” Dilip said.

When Siraj was asked about personal goals, he said: “I’m not a believer in milestones. It’s all about collecting wins and memories as a team.

“I had nothing at the beginning and I have everything now. I have a fan following. I thank the almighty who has brought me here. My only thought is to keep myself grounded, keep working hard and keep winning matches for my country,” said Siraj, who has 233 international wickets across three formats.

In the Shaky Isles, where the grass runs green and the ball sings through the air, Siraj has wasted no time in making his presence felt by scalping four wickets for India-A in the second ‘Test’ against New Zealand-A. It augurs well for the pacer as well as India.