‘My rhythm wasn’t quite there’: Mohammed Siraj reveals what went wrong in Sri Lanka

India’s Mohammed Siraj (PTI Photo) Mohammed Siraj believes a two-month break from competitive cricket was behind the loss of pace and rhythm that affected him during the recent Test tour of Sri Lanka.However, the Indian pacer feels that his participation in the Duleep Trophy has helped him rediscover the rhythm he needs before the next international season begins.Siraj played 41 overs for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against East Zone in Chepauk and despite a difficult first innings outing, he believes the workload was just what his body needed after a long break.During the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, Siraj’s pace was noticeably lower. Instead of operating in his usual early-to-mid 140s, he bowled in the late 120s. He bowled 44 overs across four innings but was unable to consistently trouble the Sri Lankan batsmen, with the spinners naturally taking on much of the workload.

‘My rhythm wasn’t quite there’

Siraj said the problem started with the sudden transition from a long break to international cricket.“Coming straight into the match after a two-month break, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I just can’t explode through the crease,” Siraj told the media after the Duleep Trophy final here.The pacer explained that the disruption was particularly noticeable in his run-up, affecting the momentum he relies on to generate pace.“That was a struggle in Sri Lanka – my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others too long, and that disrupted me and cost me pace,” he added.Siraj’s two-month break came after the one-off Test against Afghanistan that ended on 8 June. He then returned to action on India’s tour of Sri Lanka, which began with a match against SLC XI on 7 August.

Long spells help Siraj find his rhythm again

The Duleep Trophy final offered Siraj a chance to put in the kind of workload he felt was necessary to get his body working naturally again.“Out here, everything fell into place and the tempo developed naturally. Yes, it was very difficult. We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three-and-a-half days in the field in the second Test (in Colombo), and in a week we were playing here in the sweltering heat of Chennai.“But for me it’s about passion. When you represent your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give your all for your team and your nation.”Siraj endured a tough first innings as the batsmen from the East Zone attacked him for 140 runs from his 25 overs. He had to wait until the second innings to get a wicket.However, the numbers did not concern him so much as overcoming a considerable workload.“Even though I didn’t get the wickets to show for it today, the hard work pays off at international level.

Siraj’s priority was rhythm, not wickets

Siraj made it clear that his primary objective while playing the Duleep Trophy was not to inflate his first-class score. Instead, he wanted to regain the bowling fluency that had left him after a two-month layoff.“Going into this game, I found that my primary goal was flow. Playing this match helped me tremendously. After two months off, your body doesn’t react the same way – everything is a hair slower. When I went through this game, my body got moving again and got my rhythm back,” he said.The 32-year-old said his body is better suited to a sustained workload than extended periods away from cricket. While the break gave him an opportunity to work on other aspects, including fitness parameters, he also felt slowed down after returning to bowling.“That’s how my body works. My body doesn’t handle long breaks. A short breather is fine, but I’ve never taken two full months off in my 10-year career. So the more jumps I get, the better I am.”“If I don’t mix extended spells, my rhythm doesn’t come back. The break made my body sluggish at the crease. I bowled spells of 10 and 11 overs and that’s exactly what got me back into the rhythm,” he noted.The lack of rhythm also gave the impression that Siraj was operating with a shorter run-up. He explained that the problem was not a deliberate change in his approach, but merely an adjustment to his body after an extended break.“My approach (to the bowling groove) is more about smooth, uninterrupted acceleration than staccato strides. When I came back after a two-month break, my body had just recalibrated the length of its strides. In this match, it all felt completely natural again.“I told myself to forget the result and just run in with a good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back in action and the ball started coming out beautifully,” he said.

Shami’s advice helped Siraj

Siraj also had the opportunity to spend time with former India teammate Mohammed Shami, who represented the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final.Siraj described their interaction as a casual chat, but Shami revealed that he offered his former bowling partner some advice after noticing that Siraj was struggling to find his natural rhythm in the first innings.“Whenever I catch up with guys I’ve played with or share a good bond with, I focus on their skills. In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t quite finding his natural rhythm.”“I just reminded him that to get back to the top, he needs to go back to his core strengths. When your runs and rhythm are in sync, your line and length will fall into place automatically,” Shami said.