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Mohammed Siraj has opened up about his struggles during India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, admitting that a two-month break from competitive cricket affected his rhythm, pace and overall effectiveness with the ball.
Siraj, who is known for charging in aggressively and regularly bowling in the early-to-mid 140 kmph range, looked short of his usual intensity during the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Instead, the India pacer was frequently operating in the late 120s and struggled to make a significant impact.
Mohammed Siraj reveals why his pace dropped in Sri Lanka
According to Siraj, the biggest problem was not a lack of fitness but the disruption to his bowling rhythm.
The fast bowler had taken an extended two-month break after India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, which ended on June 8. He then returned to action during India’s Sri Lanka tour, beginning with the game against SLC XI on August 7.
Siraj admitted that returning directly from such a long break made it difficult for him to find his natural bowling rhythm.
“Coming off a two-month break straight into a match, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I simply can’t explode through the crease,” Siraj told select media after the Duleep Trophy final.
He explained that even small changes in his run-up affected his pace.
“That was the struggle in Sri Lanka; my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace.”
During the two-Test series, Siraj bowled 44 overs across four innings. With the Sri Lankan conditions heavily favouring spin, the fast bowler had limited opportunities to dominate, but he also struggled to generate the pace and movement normally associated with his bowling.
The lack of rhythm became increasingly noticeable as the series progressed.
However, Siraj believes his workload in the Duleep Trophy has helped him overcome that problem.
Duleep Trophy helped Siraj find his rhythm
Representing South Zone against East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, Siraj bowled 41 overs.
Although he was expensive in the first innings, conceding 140 runs from 25 overs, he eventually picked up a wicket in the second innings. For Siraj, however, the bigger objective was never simply to increase his wicket tally.
His primary focus was getting his body accustomed to bowling long spells again.
“Heading into this game, finding that flow was my primary goal. Playing this match helped me tremendously. After two months off, your body doesn’t react the same way—everything feels a beat slower. Getting through this game got my body moving again and brought my rhythm right back,” he said.
‘My body doesn’t handle long breaks well’: Siraj
Siraj admitted that his body is better suited to regular workloads than extended periods away from cricket.
The 32-year-old explained that although the break allowed him to focus on other areas, including fitness, the lack of bowling ultimately affected his performance.
“That’s just how my body works. My body doesn’t handle long breaks well. A short breather is fine, but in my 10-year career, I had never taken two full months off. So, the more overs I bowl, the better I get.”
He added that bowling extended spells was crucial to getting his action back in sync.
“If I don’t bowl extended spells, my rhythm won’t return. The break left my body feeling sluggish at the crease. I bowled spells of 10 and 11 overs, and that’s exactly what locked me back into rhythm.”
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Siraj confident ahead of another international season
Despite his expensive outing in the Duleep Trophy final, Siraj is not overly concerned about the lack of wickets.
For him, the physical workload and return of his bowling rhythm were more important than the numbers on the scoreboard.
“Even if I didn’t get the wickets to show for it today, that hard work will pay off at the international level.”
Siraj also addressed the perception that his run-up had become shorter. According to the pacer, it was more about his body readjusting after the lengthy break.
“My approach to the bowling crease relies on fluid, uninterrupted acceleration rather than staccato steps. Coming back after a two-month layoff, my body was just recalibrating its stride lengths. In this match, it all felt completely natural again.”
The India pacer said he eventually stopped worrying about the outcome and concentrated solely on his natural approach.
“I told myself to forget the outcome and just run in with a good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back in action, and the ball started coming out beautifully.”
With a demanding international season ahead, Siraj will hope the long spells in domestic cricket have restored the pace, rhythm and aggression that have made him an important part of India’s bowling attack.
