'You are a warrior' - India pacer reveals 'words of wisdom' from Morne Morkel after turning things around ahead of BGT 2024-25 pink-ball Test
India pacer Mohammed Siraj has stated that fast bowling coach Morne Morkel calls him a "warrior." Siraj added that the advice from the coaching staff and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah helped him overcome his slump with the ball in the first Test against Australia in Perth, where he bagged five wickets in India's 295-run win. The turnaround came in pace-friendly conditions after managing just six wickets in four Tests at home.
Siraj added that he has started to focus more on enjoying his bowling instead of running after wickets. The 30-year-old said (via ESPNcricinfo):
"Morne [Morkel, India's current bowling coach] keeps telling me that 'you are a warrior. You'll get us wickets, but you just keep enjoying your bowling'."
"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 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," he added.
Siraj further credited the fast-bowling friendly conditions in Australia for him regaining his mojo since spinners play a predominant role in the sub-continent:
"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."
"When I wasn't getting wickets, I went a bit deep into why I wasn't getting them. In India you know that spinners bowl most of the overs, so there it's a little tough to get wickets in [the] five-six overs [you get as a fast bowler]. So I just became a bit upset about why I wasn't getting wickets. But now I am having a lot of fun," he added.
Mohammed Siraj has scalped 18 wickets in four Tests Down Under, including a fifer in Brisbane.
"The more you practice with it, the better you get" - Mohammed Siraj on India's preparation ahead of pink-ball second Test
Mohammed Siraj further opened up on the challenges of playing with the pink ball in the upcoming second Test in Adelaide, which starts on Friday, December 6. The Hyderabad-born pacer said in the same interaction:
"This [pink] ball has a synthetic feeling. This is different to the red ball we play with. There can be a bit of confusion due to the ball, but it's just one match so we just have to focus on that and practice for it and we'll improve day-by-day. The seam is very hard. It's bright, and quite big. The more you practice with it, the better you get."
"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. 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," he added.
Mohammed Siraj returned with figures of 1/18 in his seven overs, including a maiden, against Australia PM XI in the pink-ball warmup game. India won the game by six wickets.