NUMBERS GAME: Out of his 78 wickets, he has only taken 17 at home. Former bowling instructor Paras Mhambrey identifies a few reasons why statistics tell a story.
The lone memorable moment from Mohammed Siraj’s first series after a month-long sabbatical may have been an incredible overhead catch made by Shakib Al Hasan just before India’s historic Test victory against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
Over the past several seasons, the right-arm seamer has been one of India’s busiest bowlers and has established himself as an essential component of the Test and ODI lineups. Since January 2022, Siraj has struck out 728 overs in all forms, which is more than any other Indian pacer and only surpassed by spinners R Ashwin (786.3) and Ravindra Jadeja (771.2). The legendary Jasprit Bumrah, the second-best bowler, has taken 128 wickets in 582 overs bowled, five more than Siraj throughout that time.
In almost every trip and playing condition he has encountered, the Hyderabad pacer has caused problems for his opponents. In restricted overs, he is the archenemy of the Sri Lankans. In his debut Test series in Australia, he topped the charts. In January of this year, he played the shortest Test ever in Cape Town, where he crushed South Africa with a resounding 6/15. In 2021, he even successfully employed the wobble-seam charm in England.
