‘They struggled for rhythm due to 2-month break’: Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj (PTI Photo) CHENNAI: Mohammed Siraj has not been at his best of late. He recently struggled in Sri Lanka and also in the final of the Duleep Trophy that reached here on Thursday. Siraj’s first innings was particularly poor. He went wicketless for 140 runs at an economy rate of 5.60, struggling with control and looking tired in Chennai’s heat. He was also seen holding his knees and suffering from convulsions.Before the Sri Lanka series, Siraj’s last international outing was a one-off Test against Afghanistan in June, where he bowled 13 overs and took one wicket.He then had a two-month break before playing two Tests in Sri Lanka, where he took four wickets. Siraj believes the gap was the main reason for his struggles. “Since I had a two-month break before the Sri Lanka series, I didn’t have the right rhythm initially. When you come back after a two-month break, your body doesn’t react that quickly, it’s a bit slow,” he said.Siraj’s problem, he explained, was the rhythm of his run. “I’m a rhythm pitcher. Until I find my rhythm, the ball doesn’t release smoothly. Sometimes my strides were too short, sometimes too long, so I couldn’t build a rhythm.” Siraj bowled 16 overs for 47 runs, including a first spell of 7-2-17-1 in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy final.

What aspect do you think is most important to a pitcher’s performance?

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

More than 5,000 users have already voted today

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

Share an opinion