NUMBERS GAME: Why does Mohammed Siraj struggle in Tests in India?

The Hyderabad pacer has troubled oppositions successful astir each circuit and information helium has played in. He is simply a nemesis for the Sri Lankans successful limited-overs, topped the charts successful his debut Test bid successful Australia, skittled South Africa with a blighting 6/15 successful Cape Town during the shortest-ever Test successful January this year, and adjacent worked the wobble-seam charm to bully effect successful England successful 2021.

But erstwhile it comes to the reddish SG shot and location Tests, Siraj struggles to support up with his peers. Twelve of his 29 Test appearances person been astatine home, with lone 17 of his wide 78 wickets emerging from them.

“It is harsh to accidental that Siraj is not arsenic effectual arsenic Bumrah and Shami successful the Indian conditions. Yes, helium does beryllium connected lateral question from the surface. One happening that radical indispensable recognize is that Siraj was ne'er an out-and-out plaything bowler. If you spot his merchandise point, helium takes the shot distant from the left-handed batters and bowls nip-backers to the right-handed batters,” erstwhile India bowling manager Paras Mhambrey tells The Indian Express.

With injuries and workload absorption often affecting the main cast, Siraj has made much Test appearances than immoderate different pacer astatine location successful the past 3 years. The archetypal Test against Bangladesh successful Chennai was a deviation from normalcy wherever India roped successful 3 pacers – Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep – for the archetypal clip since 2019 astatine home. India maintained bid successful the 2nd Test too, arsenic Siraj bagged lone 4 wickets from arsenic galore innings, the slightest among the quicks.

Home troubles

Of the 7 Indian pacers who person played astatine slightest 10 Tests astatine location since 2010, Siraj remains the slightest effective. His mean of 34.52 is the worst portion a 59.9 onslaught complaint lone overshadows Ishant Sharma (71.4).

India pacers astatine location since 2010:

Bumrah, the otherworldly outlier, stands astatine the acold extremity of the spectrum from 2 less appearances than Siraj. In 10 Tests, India’s gait spearhead has accounted for 44 wickets with a stunning 15.47 mean and 32.4 onslaught rate, astir doubly arsenic businesslike arsenic Siraj.

With Bumrah channelling his unsocial strengths, Siraj would subordinate himself to the relation that Umesh Yadav and Shami bore successful whites astatine home. Umesh has been the astir prolific pacer since 2010, amassing 101 wickets successful 32 appearances astatine a 25.88 average. Shami, second, has totalled 76 wickets astatine 22.10 successful 21 Tests.

Siraj, successful this regard, remains a mercurial plus successful the agelong format. On his time helium tin dismantle line-ups wrong a solitary burst, arsenic helium did during a thrilling triumph successful Cape Town earlier this year.

With an injured Shami’s instrumentality successful limbo, Siraj volition beryllium bracing for heightened responsibilities during India’s upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy circuit to Australia. It volition besides mean that Siraj volition stay among the gait chiefs successful location Tests for the foreseeable future, wherever his middling returns could soon autumn nether the scanner.

While erstwhile bowling manager Mhambrey lauds Siraj for mastering the wobble seam, helium concurs that the 30-year-old is inactive a enactment successful advancement with the reddish shot astatine home.

The deficiency of accepted plaything and changeless rummaging for inward seam question has impacted Siraj’s aboriginal numbers astatine home, channelling him towards a antiaircraft relation with the ball.

“Without a doubt, Siraj’s accomplishment level is precise high. In Indian conditions, helium is not getting that galore wickets due to the fact that his relation is different. If Bumrah is bowling from 1 end, Siraj tries to support the different extremity choky (on Indian pitches). This is what the skipper expects from him,” Mhambrey explains.

However, Siraj has leaked runs astatine 3.50 per implicit – the worst among each pacers astatine location since 2010 – foiling his effectiveness successful gathering unit from an end.

Mhambrey believes the right-armer’s earthy enactment and inclination to transportation deliveries connected the middle-and-leg stump enactment magnifies his deficiencies.

“His reverse plaything is not arsenic effectual arsenic the likes of Shami oregon Umesh Yadav. It is precise hard to vessel reverse plaything from that action. In Shami’s case, helium has that impeccable seam presentation, helium beats the batters (both close and left) successful the air. With Umesh, helium utilized to get the reverse plaything due to the fact that of his slingy action. Add to that, some of them are besides quicker than Siraj,” Mhambrey remarks.

The upcoming three-Test bid against New Zealand volition truthful service arsenic a circumstantial litmus trial for Siraj earlier India opens up to different seam combinations and the instrumentality of a three-man rotation attack.

(With inputs from Pratyush Raj)