Mohammed Siraj opens up on struggles and dip in pace during Sri Lanka Tests

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has opened up on his struggles in Sri Lanka, after playing for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026-27. Siraj didn’t have memorable outings in the final as he leaked 140 runs from 25 overs in the first innings at an economy of 5.60.

He had slightly better returns in the second innings, registering 1/47 in 16 overs as East Zone won the title by the virtue of first innings lead. Following his performance in the final, Siraj opened up on his struggles during the Sri Lanka Test series and how his run up affected his performance.

"I'm purely a rhythm bowler. If I'm not in sync, I can't explode through the crease. That was the struggle in Sri Lanka - my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace,” Siraj was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.

Siraj looked undercooked in the first innings bowling in the 125-130kph range in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy final before rediscovering his rhythm in the second, bowling close to 135kph. He also mentioned how he isn’t used to handling long breaks.

"Every bowler's body is different, but mine doesn't handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off. I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward,” he added.

Siraj likely to return for West Indies ODIs

"After two months off, your body doesn't react the same way - everything feels a bit slower. Getting through this game got my body moving again and brought my rhythm right back,” said Siraj.

Mohammed Siraj will be seen playing for Hyderabad in the upcoming Ranji Trophy. He’s likely to return in the ODIs against West Indies, having last played 50-over cricket against New Zealand in January.