India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has heaped praise on Mohammed Siraj’s attitude for the success the pacer has enjoyed in the ongoing Test tour of England.
Siraj, who is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 20 scalps to his name, produced another inspiring spell on Day 4 of the fifth Test when the hosts were threatening to clinch the series.
Siraj’s ability to lift the entire team with his energy and attitude was there to see again at the Oval, where the series is now headed for a thrilling finish on day 5.
Addressing the media after the end of fourth day’s play, Morkel said, “I said it earlier in the Test series, I’m very happy for Siraj that he’s getting the recognition. He’s a guy in that changing room who will lead the way, he’s a natural leader.”
“Although vocally he doesn’t speak a lot, I think he leads a lot with his actions. In this series, he’s done it with the ball at times when we’ve needed somebody to put his hand up and create something. Even if it was bowling an extra two to three overs or creating an opportunity for us, he’s been that guy. He’s put in the effort, and it’s just nice to see the rewards and today again at the back end, stepping up, getting the support behind the team to lift us in the crucial moments, it’s those sort of smart plays that you need, and for me, Siraj has just been outstanding,” he added.
While Prasidh Krishna claimed the prized scalps of Ben Duckett and centurion Joe Root to inject life into the fifth Test, Siraj had played a role in both the dismissals with his spell at the other end. After removing Zak Crawley off the last ball of the third day’s play, he got rid of Ollie Pope to give an opening.
Despite sending down more overs than anyone in the series, Siraj still delivered long spells with the old ball before bad light and rain brought an end to the fourth day’s play, with India needing four wickets.
In a series where Jasprit Bumrah featured in only three Tests to manage his workload, Siraj has taken the mantle of being a pace spearhead.
“I think he just enjoys that opportunity when it’s given to him and he said it yesterday, he just loves playing for India and putting the shirt on and performing. That’s what you want from a fast bowler — an important series, five Tests, a guy that’s always willing to take the ball and a guy who’s always putting his hand up to say, ‘listen, I want to do it for the team’,” Morkel said.
While India have been rotating the fast bowler in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Siraj has been an exception to this. Morkel, however, revealed that before the Oval Test, he had a word with the 31-year-old about his fitness.
“Even before the start of the Test, there was conversations with him just to check in how he was feeling mentally and how he was feeling physically because of the amount of overs. But he was the first guy to say, ‘listen, I want to play this Test match, I want to win it for the team’. So not just the bowling front but it’s the attitude for me that is great and, you’ve got a guy with an attitude like that, he’s willing to run in all day, I’m not surprised, that’s why he’s got the numbers,” Morkel said.
