Pacer Mohammed Siraj feels he needs to work on his consistency ahead of taking part in India’s fifth Test against England. India will face England for the fifth and final Test of the five-match series on July 1, which was postponed earlier in September 2021 due to COVID-19.
“Right now we have a bit of time before we play the Test against England so for now I would be training on the pitch near my home and working on my fitness as jumping from T20 in Test is a big change. To play these long spells in Test cricket, I really need to focus on my consistency, and that will be my only focus,” Siraj told ANI.
Siraj, who was present at the launch of the trailer for Voot Select’s web series ‘Bandon Mein Tha Dum’ which features the Indian Tour 2020/21 trip to Australia, also praised Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and said he understood each player’s mentality.
“Rohit understands the mental state of a player. Whenever we go through a tough time on the field, he’s the one who comes up with a plan B and motivates the bowlers to do better in the game. It’s a great feeling to work under a captain who understands you so well,” Siraj said.
Siraj also spoke about India’s now iconic 2020/21 Test series against Australia, where the playmaker played a crucial role in the visitors’ triumph. The Hyderabad speedster earned his first Team India cap in the second Test after Mohammed Shami’s injury. The 28-year-old pacer then made a five-wicket run in the fourth Test at Gabba.
The Indian team beat Australia in Gabba and Brisbane to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 2-1.
“After Mohammed Shami’s injury, I had a chance to play for India. One thing was in my mind that I played well for India A and scalped 8 wickets against Australia A. So it gave me the confidence to do well in my first set of tests for India,” Siraj said.
Promoted
Ahead of the fifth Test, the Indian team will face South Africa for a five-match T20I series starting June 9, with the first game in New Delhi.
After being held up by RCB for Rs 7 crore, ahead of IPL 2022, Siraj conceded 514 runs, in 15 matches and scalped only 9 wickets.
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