Mohammed Siraj has bowled relentlessly in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without ever complaining of workload. Having featured in all three Tests so far, he has claimed 13 wickets—the most by an Indian bowler in the series—in 109 overs.
As he gears up for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Siraj believes that it’s playing for the country that keeps him going. “There’s no real secret. When you play for your country, that in itself is the biggest motivation,” Siraj said on Monday.
“Representing the nation gives me all the energy I need. My only aim is to give 100 per cent on the field so that when I go back and rest at night, I don’t have regrets like ‘I could’ve done this’ or ‘I missed that’. Results can go either way — but I must always give my best.”
With Jasprit Bumrah having played just two matches so far, Siraj is not too worried about his workload. “God has kept me in good health. The record books will show that Siraj has bowled this much or that much, but my only aim is to play as many games as possible for the country and help the team win,” he said.
Siraj wants to keep contributing to the team’s success, but he hasn’t set any targets for himself. “I’m bowling really well, but sometimes luck doesn’t favour you. Every bowler wants a wicket every time they bowl.
“I tell myself that even if I don’t get wickets today, I’ll get them in the next match. I believe God is watching my effort—he got me here, and he’ll take me further. So, I stay patient,” he said. “I do get frustrated when I’m beating the bat again and again and not getting wickets, but I stay grounded and keep doing my job.”
In the previous Test at Lord’s, Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja had forged a last-wicket partnership before the former was dismissed by Shoaib Bashir and India ended up suffering a heartbreaking 22-run defeat.
“When I was batting, it felt like I couldn’t get out. I had so much confidence. I thought if I do get out, it’ll be because of my own mistake. And even though I middled the ball well, I still got out. That was heartbreaking because we could have won that match,” Siraj said, adding, “That would’ve completely changed the result (of the series).”
India is now trailing 1-2 in the five-match Test series.