‘When I bowl with aggression…’ : India pacer Mohammed Siraj makes honest admission of his bowling

Siraj has received a lot of international success since making his Test debut against Australia in 2020. The Hyderabad pacer has been India’s stand-out performer with the ball in the ongoing World Test Championship final against Australia.

The pacer has been the best bowler for India in the match with four wickets in the first innings. He added another one in the second after picking up David Warner. Although his altercation with Steve Smith has been criticised, the player asserts the importance of aggression in his life.

“Aggression is very important in my bowling. Test cricket is based on aggression. It’s not just about delivering simple ball and walking away without saying anything,” Siraj said in a video posted by the ICC.

“When I bowl with aggression, I keep my body engaged. Unlike some other bowlers who bowl here and there with aggression, my bowling is precise. The more aggression I put into my game, the more success I achieve. I thoroughly enjoy playing with aggression,” the Indian pacer added.

Just like any cricketer, Siraj considers Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game and has done extremely well in the format for the national team. The Hyderabad-born bowler made an impressive Test debut in Melbourne on December 26, 2020, picking up 5 for 77.

“Initially I used to play a lot of tennis-ball cricket. I never thought that I would become an Indian player. When I used to play tennis-ball cricket, I always used to give my 100 per cent,” he said.

The player reveals a five-wicket haul in the debut game in his Test debut got him going and the player never stopped after that. He also revealed he never had any particular aim of playing for India and believes he wouldn’t have achieved it had he given a thought about national team chances.

“The idea of playing for India never crossed my mind but I kept enjoying the game. If I had thought playing for India, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve it. “I stuck to my plan and earned the opportunity to wear India cap. I am very proud of myself,” Siraj concluded.