Mohammed Siraj ‘Angry’ Over Ajinkya Rahane’s Captaincy Decision in Debut Test Series: ‘Noticed One Change…’

Ajinkya Rahane recalls Mohammed Siraj’s debut Test series, remembering how the pacer was frustrated by one of his captaincy decisions.

Table of Contents

• Mohammed Siraj Shines as India’s Leading Wicket-Taker in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

• Siraj stands up in Bumrah’s absence

Mohammed Siraj Shines as India’s Leading Wicket-Taker in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

Mohammed Siraj emerged as the standout performer in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the five-Test series. The right-arm pacer claimed 23 wickets and played a crucial role in India’s thrilling six-run victory in the final Test at the Oval. Siraj’s five-wicket haul in the second innings helped Shubman Gill’s side secure a miraculous win, leveling the series against the hosts.

Ajinkya Rahane, who captained India to a memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in 2020-21, praised Siraj’s aggression and intensity, noting how his anger fuels his best performances. Rahane, who gave Siraj his Test debut in that Australia series, shared a story about Siraj’s passion even then.

“What I like about Siraj is that he always liked to bowl longer spells. Even in the 2020-21 series, he was willing to do that with the same intensity. In Australia, when he was making his debut, he was angry because I had introduced him into the attack very late,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

“He still has the anger inside him. This anger brings out the best in Mohammed Siraj. We saw in the England series. The aggression in his bowling and the intensity with which he bowls, he is always warmed up by the time he bowls his first ball. This is the great quality of a great bowler,” he added.

Siraj stands up in Bumrah’s absence

Before the series against England began, it was clear that Jasprit Bumrah would play only three Tests to manage his workload. In the two matches Bumrah missed, Mohammed Siraj stepped up and led India’s pace attack with remarkable consistency.

Throughout the five-match series, Siraj bowled over 185 overs. Notably, in the second Test at Edgbaston, he took six wickets in the first innings, filling the void left by Bumrah’s absence. Ajinkya Rahane praised Siraj’s immediate impact, saying, “Sometimes, other bowlers take 8-10 balls to warm up. Some bowlers take two balls to do so. But Siraj is always there. Just like James Anderson, he is always there from ball number one. Even when he is bowling his eighth or ninth over in the spell, he still has the same aggression and intensity.”

Rahane also highlighted Siraj’s growing confidence in field settings: “I have noticed one change in him; he is confident about his own fields. When a bowler tells the captain, ‘Give me this field,’ then it becomes really easy. In this series, the responsibility helped him when Jasprit Bumrah was not there.”

Thanks to his stellar performances in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Siraj climbed to 15th place in the latest ICC Test Rankings and was named Player of the Match in the Oval Test.

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