'Bumrah bowled brilliantly in both the ODI and T20 World Cups. Siraj is also in the same league. To protect him from injuries'
Mohammed Siraj is in the same league as premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and it is important to manage his workload carefully to keep him injury-free, said former India fast bowler RP Singh.
Siraj bowled 185.3 overs in the recently concluded five-match Test series in England and finished as the highest wicket-taker with 23 wickets, emerging as the most utilised bowler of the series.
The 31-year-old from Hyderabad claimed nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings of the fifth Test, playing a key role in India’s six-run victory that helped the visitors level the series 2-2.
“Workload management will be crucial to prevent Siraj from getting injured in the future,” Singh said in an interview with PTI-Bhasha.
“Fast bowlers are at higher risk of injury when they play too many matches in a short time. His workload should be managed just like we did with Bumrah.”
Citing Bumrah’s example, Singh added, “It's because of better workload management that Bumrah bowled brilliantly in both the ODI and T20 World Cups. Siraj is also in the same league. To protect him from injuries, we need to seriously focus on his workload, sooner or later.”
Singh, who played 82 matches for India, including 14 Tests, praised Siraj for his lion-hearted performance during the England tour.
“Siraj was the only bowler who played all five Tests and bowled with full energy and intensity in each match,” said Singh, a JioHotstar cricket expert.
“The last ball of the series, which bowled out the batsman, was one of his five fastest deliveries in the series.”
Siraj delivered a 143 kmph yorker to clean up Gus Atkinson and seal India’s win in the fifth Test. It was the fifth-fastest ball he bowled in the series.
“This shows that he never lacked effort. He focused on bowling with the right line and length and contributed beyond expectations for the team. His fitness and rhythm were excellent throughout,” Singh said.
Having mostly bowled under Bumrah’s leadership until now, Siraj carved out his own identity during the England series. Singh noted that even Bumrah’s success has been complemented by Siraj.
“Just like batsmen need partnerships, bowlers also prefer bowling in pairs. Bumrah tends to take more wickets and his unique action troubles batters more,” said the former left-arm pacer.
“Siraj’s role is to build pressure from his end — and he does that very well. Their partnership has been special and delivered great performances. When Bumrah isn’t in the team, Siraj automatically becomes our lead fast bowler.”
On the debate surrounding Bumrah playing only three Tests during the England series due to workload management, Singh remarked:
“That was already planned. The good thing about Bumrah is that whenever he’s in the team, he gives you wickets. Captains always expect breakthroughs from him. He usually bowls more than others in any match he plays.”
Singh also praised skipper Shubman Gill, who led from the front with 754 runs in the series.
“No one thought India would come back and level the series 2-2. Gill was impressive as captain. He made good decisions, and his personal performance was outstanding. When a captain performs well with the bat, it positively influences his decision-making.”
The series also featured moments of grit as injured players came out to bat in crunch moments — Rishabh Pant batted in Manchester despite a fractured leg, while Chris Woakes batted with his left arm in a sling after sustaining a shoulder fracture.
Singh believes that, in such situations, like-for-like injury replacements should be allowed.
“In my opinion, there should be a neutral doctor or physio during every match who decides the severity of a player's injury and whether they are fit to play. If not, the team should be allowed to bring in a replacement of similar ability,” he suggested.
Singh also addressed the absence of Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI during the series. He attributed this to the team management’s preference for all-rounders.
“There’s no doubt that every player wants to be in the playing XI. From the first match of the series, India decided to strengthen the batting. To deepen the lineup, the team preferred all-rounders — that’s why Kuldeep didn’t get to play,” he said.
“If the team had prioritized bowling strength, then Kuldeep would have featured. Washington Sundar partially filled the spin role, but I believe there were two or three pitches where Kuldeep could have been very effective. But these things happen in cricket. If not today, then there will be opportunities in the future.”
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