R Ashwin sent a stern message to Mohammed Siraj |courtesy – AP/BCCI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ravichandran Ashwin gave a stern remark on Mohammed Siraj
- Siraj took two wickets across the two innings in the Leeds Test
- Siraj is the second-most experienced pacer in the Indian team
India’s batting put up a show to remember as they scored five centuries, but it ended up in a losing cause, the first instance of the same happening in Test cricket history. Over the course of innings, India put up 835 runs (471, 364) on the board, which is the fourth-highest match aggregate in history in a losing cause.
In the second innings, while Siraj bowled much better and created plenty of chances, luck was not on his side as he went wicketless while conceding 41 runs in 15 overs. In the fourth innings, Bumrah also had a rare failure as he went wicketless while England chased down a huge total of 371.
“My only question to Siraj is…can you dry up the run flow? You don’t have to pick up wickets. But can you not give away 4-5 runs every over? If runs are being leaked, then you have to bring Bumrah back into the attack. How many dams will Bumrah be able to construct? “Also, he gets tired, and his spells are pushed, and by then, partnerships are forged. Or you’d have to go with Jadeja, who has to step in and stem the flow of runs. Prasidh is playing for the first time, and he is inexperienced,” said Ashwin on his Youtube channel.
“So Siraj has to play the bankable role. Remember how Morne Morkel used to bowl 2/43 in 20 overs? That should be his role. In Bazball, you could go for 2/58, I guess. Siraj has to play that role, and if he is effective in it, then it would make a huge difference.
“I agree that wicket-taking is important in Test cricket. But in Test cricket, you also bowl for one another. Ishant Sharma used to do it wonderfully. He played the Morkel role very well. He would hold the pressure on one end, and would have given just 40-odd runs after an entire day’s play. Of course, I am not asking Siraj to do the same, but regulate the leakage of runs,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin called for Siraj to become a cushion for Bumrah and claimed that if Siraj cannot do the job, India needs to look at someone else to come into the team.
“You can’t just bowl aggressively throughout your spell. He has to take that responsibility and be a cushion to Bumrah and protect Prasidh, who is new on the side. Let him pick those wickets throughout the day, and not let him blast out and want to pick five wickets in a seven-over spell. But if Siraj is going to continue his style, and Prasidh is also going to leak runs, then you need someone to come in and play the holding role,” Ashwin concluded.
