"There is a difference between the speed a speed gun shows and what the batsman plays" - Ajay Jadeja on Mohammed Siraj's skiddy bowling
Former India batsman Ajay Jadeja has lauded Mohammed Siraj for his ability to extract pace from any kind of surface after the latter's performance against England in the second Test at Lord's.
The lanky pacer scalped eight wickets across two innings of the Test match to break the back of the England batting lineup and help India complete a memorable victory.
While reflecting on Siraj's performance during a discussion on Sony Sports, Jadeja pointed out that the skiddy nature of his bowling makes it hard for batsmen to settle.
"I expect him to grow even further because he is still young. You need a different pace to get the tail out. There is a difference between the speed a speed gun shows and what the batsman plays," Jadeja said. "I don't know about the speed gun, but the pace at which he has bowled in both innings, with the ball skidding onto the batsman."
The former Indian cricketer reckons Siraj could be an asset even in slower pitches in the subcontinent.
"He is beating the batsman just with pace, beating them in the air. You will surely get helpful conditions in England and New Zealand but in India, you won't get those types of conditions. So you need a different skill there, we can see a different spark in him," Jadeja added.
Jadeja also heaped praise on Siraj for not shying away from experimenting with his line and length.
"The job he has done is totally different. There are two types of bowlers - one who maintains his line and length and consistently bowls at one spot. He is among those who whatever be the conditions, he keeps trying something different," Jadeja said.
Mohammed Siraj has played five of his seven Tests in overseas conditions, three in Australia and two in England. In the couple of Tests he played on home soil, the Hyderabad-born pacer did not bowl too many overs but still scalped three wickets.
Virender Sehwag on Mohammed Siraj's skiddy bowling
When asked why Mohammed Siraj's skiddy bowling caused problems for the England batsmen, Virender Sehwag compared him to Ajit Agarkar, who also possessed a similar bowling style.
"They definitely trouble but it takes time to adjust. If you don't adjust, you are back in the pavilion by then," Sehwag said. "Ajit Agarkar used to be a skiddy bowler. It did not seem from his build that he will bowl so fast but his ball used to skid and hit the bat. The same is the case with Mohammed Siraj."
Siraj was widely considered an outswing bowler before his foray into international cricket. However, he has focused more on his in-dippers in Test cricket, which, coupled with his skiddy nature, has helped him dismiss quite a few batsmen bowled or LBW.