Pre-match press conferences are often mostly about rehearsed lines, stock phrases and clichéd sentiments that give no idea about the player, person or the upcoming game.
But once in a while, a Mohammed Siraj walks into the media hall casually, sits on the dais, lets out a random loud sigh, waits for a while, looks around to ask the media manager: “Sawal hi nahi hain, chale (there are no questions, shall we leave)?”.
Siraj did stay back since there were many ‘sawals’ and refreshingly some straight-from-the-heart ‘jawabs’ too. His answers weren’t those everyday sports arena utterances recorded and diligently relayed, but lost in the sea of inanities.
There is a reason why Siraj sounded so real.
“Kya hai na, mai bahut emotional person hoon. (See the thing is, I am a very emotional person).” As he said this, there was a collective nodding of heads by the reporters. This answer was in context of his dismissal on the final day at Lord’s that ended India’s fightback and reduced the ever-smiling always-joking cricketer to a picture of gloom.
Test Cricket.
Wow.
😍 pic.twitter.com/XGDWM1xR2H— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 14, 2025
India’s last wicket partnership – Ravindra Jadeja and Siraj – had raised hopes of an improbable win. From the hopelessness of 112/8, chasing 193 for a 2-1 lead, India were just 23 runs away, all thanks to No.10 Jasprit Bumrah and No.11 Siraj and, of course, Jadeja.
At this stage of the game, when the impossible looked achievable, Siraj got out. His biggest regret – that took a long time to overcome – was him getting bowled even after connecting with the ball from the middle of his bat. To Siraj’s horror, the ball took a deadly turn towards the stumps after falling to the ground from Siraj’s bat.
Siraj didn’t project himself as some ruthless pro who got over the setback within minutes of leaving the field. He said that it did impact him and it took a while to overcome it.
“It took a lot of time. Because that match was such that, in the last, in 2021 (at Lord’s), I took the last wicket (of James Anderson). Then, in such a situation, when I was there, I thought I could do it again … … “Kya hai na, mai bahut emotional person hoon.”
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India’s Mohammed Siraj gestures during a press conference following a nets session at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Monday, July 21, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
There is a simple comforting thought that Siraj often leans on to sleep peacefully at night. Several of his coaches say that the Hyderabad pacer’s biggest attribute is his capacity to keep pushing his limits and never taking things easy – be it at a net session or in a match.
Often during the press conference, he spoke about giving his “100 percent” – a certified sporting cliché for sure but when uttered by Siraj, who just minutes back was running in at the nets and bowling with all his energy, sounded true. “Dekho, desh ke liye khelta hun (I play for my country). I always give my 100 percent. And since I do that, when I sleep at night, there should be that feeling inside that I gave my 100 percent … even if I didn’t get the result I wanted, it was fine.”
Breath of fresh air
Siraj wasn’t unduly paranoid about what he spoke to the media. He didn’t guard team trivia as if it was classified information of national interest.
Someone asked if Jasprit Bumrah will play the fourth Test, now that England led 2-1 and this was a now-or-never game for India. This was no-brainer, India would surely carry its sharpest weapon on the field.
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But still most pre-match press conference candidates would still keep it under wraps, and speak about deciding on the morning of the match. Siraj is different, he shot back instantly.
“Jassibhai toh khelenge hi na. (Jassibhai will surely play).” He also spoke about Akash Deep’s injury – “Groin mai kuchh hua hai.”
There was a query if the “workload management” principle doesn’t apply to him, as he has played all Tests so far and there is no talk about him missing the next. Siraj broke into a smile and said: “Sir, upar wale ne muje itna sehatmund (fit, fine) rakha hai .. touch wood (The Almighty has kept me so healthy, touch wood)! This workload is what science ke log (science people) write in books. My goal is simple – I play as many matches for my country as I can.”
While laughing through the press conference, Siraj would drop a profound line, giving an idea about his sharp analytical mind.
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What is the problem with the Dukes ball?
“The ball loses shape and that’s why bowlers can’t back-spin the ball,” he said.
One of the reasons batsmen find it hard to read Bumrah, is the ‘back-spin’ he puts on the ball. Not many pundits on TV have spoken about it.
An English reporter would try his luck, ask Siraj about the chatter on the pitch and the needle between the two sides. The pacer would smile and say that he does it to disturb the batsmen. He gave an example about how when Joe Root was playing a very steady innings, he came up with the “Bazball, Bazball .. what happened to Bazball” chime. It was this sledge that made Root change his style of play.
#MohammedSiraj turns up the spice at Lord’s! 🌶🔥
Joe Root was playing it safe… until Mohammed Siraj decided to knock on his mental front door with some classic banter! 🗣😏#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 1 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar ➡ https://t.co/H1YUOckUwK pic.twitter.com/6VeulnpzbT
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 10, 2025
“It was to divert his mind. ‘Where is Bazball?’- I reminded him. It suddenly came to his mind and he started batting differently.” Root would soon get out.
Will he continue to talk? Before he blinked, Siraj said a firm “Yes”.
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Towards the end came a tricky question. This is how the simple, but smart, Siraj handled it.
Q: Mohammed, at the weekend, there was a Legends game between India and Pakistan?
A: Is it? I don’t know.
Q: Would you feel comfortable playing against Pakistan in an ICC event at the moment?
A: I don’t know what to say.
He can hit the ball out of the park and also leave it.
