Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised Mohammed Siraj for his outstanding performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. It was largely because of Siraj that the five-match Test series was levelled 2-2 as he pulled back India from the jaws of defeat on Day 5 of the fifth Test. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj took charge and led India’s pace attack, bagging a fifer twice in a single series.
While Bumrah was rested to manage his workload, Mohammed Siraj played all five Tests, bowling 185.3 overs – the most by any bowler in the series. His match-winning performance will go down in the history of Test cricket as India won by a narrow margin of 6 runs.
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Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar praised Siraj’s resilience and hunger to play in every match. He claimed that Siraj has debunked the workload myth and shown immense commitment towards the sport. The former Indian captain also sent a strict message to head coach Gautam Gambhir that workload management is not a matter of great consideration when the players are playing for the country.
“There’s always the saying that the bowlers win your matches, but the fact of the matter is that you’ve also got to score the runs. So because India didn’t score the runs, they lost those two matches. So yes, I think Siraj bowled his heart out, and he debunked forever this business of workload. I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian Cricket dictionary. I’ve been saying that for a long time. For five Test matches nonstop, he bowled 6-over, 7-over, 8-over spells because the captain wanted it, and the country expected of him. And I think that is the one thing that we all should keep in mind that this workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing,” he said.
“If you are going to succumb to people who are talking about workload, then you are never going to have your best players on the field. You’ve got to get them to a situation where you say, ‘Hello, you are playing for your country, and when you are playing for your country, you’ve got to forget the aches and pains in your muscles. That is what you mean on the border. Do you think the jawans complain about the cold, or what is the situation? They are there to give their lives for the country. Give your very best for the country. Don’t worry about accident pains. What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out bat with a fracture. That is the kind of thing you want to expect from your team. That is the, that’s something that you want to expect. Don’t go by the little injuries. It is an honour given to you amongst 140 crores of people, so you are so lucky to be able to represent India. And you should not take that lightly. And this is what we have seen with Siraj, five Test matches, bowling non-stop,” he added.
“Not a problem in home series, but definitely in overseas series, where you’re taking a team overseas, and the balance of the team can get affected. At home, you have ample time to call out to reserves, so it’s not so much of an issue. But going overseas, you have to maybe look at that factor. But Bumrah was an injury issue, not a workload thing. He’s had a serious injury. And so, therefore, I think that also has to be taken into consideration. When he played the two Test matches, he took two fifers. India might not have won, but he took those wickets. So you mustn’t forget what a wonderful bowler he is,” Gavaskar said.
