New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) : Mohammed Siraj believes an unusually long two-month break affected his bowling rhythm and contributed to his loss of pace during India’s recent Test series in Sri Lanka.
Siraj returned to domestic action for the Duleep Trophy final after India’s Test assignment in Sri Lanka and initially struggled to find his usual pace and rhythm at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The pacer conceded 140 runs in 25 overs in the first innings after the East Zone chose to bat but produced a much sharper performance in the second innings. He bowled with greater pace and control, finishing with 1-47 from 16 overs as the East Zone went on to defeat the South Zone and claim the title on first-innings lead.
Siraj said his difficulties were linked to the disruption caused by his extended break before the Sri Lanka series. “I’m purely a rhythm bowler. 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,” Siraj was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.
The 32-year-old said the lengthy gap was unfamiliar territory in his career and that training away from competitive cricket could not fully reproduce the demands of a match.
“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,” he said.
Siraj also had to deal with demanding conditions after coming directly from Sri Lanka. India had spent three-and-a-half days on the field during the second Test before the fast bowler travelled to Chennai for the Duleep Trophy final.
“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.
However, he refused to use the physical demands as an excuse, stressing the responsibility that comes with playing for India.
“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,” he added.
Siraj also revealed that he made a conscious adjustment in the second innings. Instead of chasing extra pace, he focused on maintaining his natural rhythm, which immediately brought greater consistency to his bowling.
“In the first innings, the pitch looked fresh, so I tried to bowl too fast. Because I was forcing it, my rhythm was off,” he said. “In the second innings, I told myself to forget the outcome and just run in with good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back, and the ball started coming out beautifully.”
