Mohammed Siraj (PTI Photo)
He went wicketless for 140 runs at an economy rate of 5.60, struggling with control and appearing to tire in Chennai’s heat. Before the Sri Lanka series, Siraj’s last international outing had been the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June, where he bowled 13 overs and took one wicket. 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.
When you return after a two-month break, your body doesn’t react as quickly, it’s a bit slow,” he said. CHENNAI: Mohammed Siraj hasn’t been at his best of late. Siraj’s first innings was particularly poor. He was also seen holding his knees and suffering from cramps. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines He then had a two-month break before playing the two Tests in Sri Lanka, where he managed four wickets. Siraj believes that gap was a major reason behind his struggles. Siraj’s problem, he explained, was the rhythm of his run-up. “I am a rhythm bowler. Unless I find my rhythm, the ball doesn’t release smoothly. My strides were sometimes too short, sometimes too long, so I couldn’t build rhythm. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
“Since I was on a two-month break before the Sri Lanka series, I didn’t have proper rhythm initially. He struggled in Sri Lanka recently and also in the Duleep Trophy final that got over here on Thursday.