He Just Told Me One Thing… Mohammed Siraj Reveals Jasprit Bumrahs Advice That Led To His Turnaround In Perth Test

Siraj picked just two wickets in two Tests during India’s 0-3 loss to New Zealand. prior to the tour Down Under. However, looked back to his best in the opening Test against Australia in Perth when he picked five wickets in a crucial victory.

It was Siraj’s first five-wicket match haul in a Test since he picked seven wickets in a Player of the Match performance in India’s first Test match of 2024 against South Africa in Cape Town.

The 30-year-old has revealed that it was a chat with stand-in skipper Bumrah prior to the Australia series that motivated him for the series opener in Perth.

“I always keep talking to Jassi bhai (Bumrah). Even before the first match, I spoke with him about what I was going through. And he just told me one thing – don’t run (chase) after wickets, just keep bowling consistently in one area and enjoy your bowling. If you still don’t get wickets, then you come ask me. So I enjoyed my bowling and I got wickets as well,” Siraj was quoted as saying by ICC.

“Australia is a place where a fast bowler enjoys because you get pace and bounce. As a fast bowler, you get everything you want. So you get a different kind of confidence to come and enjoy your bowling here,” he added.

During the pink ball warm-up match between India and Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on Sunday, Siraj picked the wicket of Matthew Renshaw and he will look to build on that performance in the second Test against Australia  in Adelaide.

Notably, it will be India’s first pink-ball Test in Australia since they were bundled out for just 36 during the second innings of the opening Test of their most recent series Down Under in 2020, but Siraj feels that his side is better prepared for the conditions the team will face this time around.

“I think that with the pink-ball, it’s better to bowl back of length. Because pitching it up, there’s not a lot of swing, so the more you hit the deck and get it to seam, it will be better for us,” Siraj said.

“I have heard that the ball swings a lot under the lights but I haven’t yet bowled with it under lights. So when we go to Adelaide and practice, we will try that. And the more practice we get, we’ll know more about what we have to do,” he added.