Mohammed Siraj goes all out on a hot day in Chandigarh, allays injury fears

Mohammed Siraj on Wednesday allayed lingering concerns about his fitness by bowling at full tilt during an intense session in sweltering heat as India stepped up preparations for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.

Speculation has been rife that the senior speedster could be rested for the game, which begins on Saturday, June 6, after a tough two-month Indian Premier League campaign. Siraj took on a heavy workload for Gujarat Titansappeared in 17 matches and scored 19 goals. His team took a longer route to the final after losing in the first qualifier, forcing them to play an extra match against Rajasthan Royals in Chandigarh.

During this match, the bowler was seen clutching his shoulder at various intervals, prompting an immediate injury warning. Although he dismissed the problem as heat exhaustion and subsequently appeared in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, his fatigue was compounded by logistical hurdles. The Titans were denied a rest day before the final when extreme weather in northern India delayed their flight, meaning they didn’t arrive at their team hotel until after 10pm on Saturday night.

However, Siraj showed no signs of lingering distress in his first full net session since the tournament ended. According to a report by news agency PTI, Siraj and his teammate Prasidh Krishna bowled at full speed for nearly 25 minutes despite the scorching summer conditions. The news agency noted that Siraj’s intense spell suggested the senior pacer had no apparent fitness concerns, adding that sustaining such an effort under the scorching sun would be difficult if he was not physically fit.

With Jasprit Bumrah missing from the squad, Siraj is set to lead an inexperienced bowling group. Rumors were rife that he might be formally added to the team as a cover player for Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi Dar, who is currently in the team as a bowler. Nabi reportedly bowled in several phases during the session and looked steady, maintaining a disciplined line and length. However, Siraj’s robust display ensures he will be at the forefront of the attack on Friday.

The session also offered clues regarding the final composition of the playing eleven. Local fast bowler Gurnoor Brar caught the eye during the training stint and used his imposing 6ft 5in frame to land a sharp bounce of a good length. The young Punjabi fast bowler has drawn outside edges from KL Rahul twice and seems to be a hot favorite for his Test debut. Additionally, the team management signaled their tactical plans by giving ample time to left-arm batsman Harsh Dubey to assess his all-round ability ahead of the match.

Indian Test Squad for One-off Test vs Afghanistan

Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

03 Jun 2026 18:30 IST