Former India opener Aakash Chopra has hailed Mohammed Siraj as a tireless workhorse of Indian cricket, describing the Hyderabad pacer as a “blessing” for the national side, especially in the red-ball format. His stirring remarks come ahead of India’s must-win fourth Test against England in Manchester, where the visitors trail 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, highlighted the staggering volume of overs Siraj has bowled across formats over the last two years. According to him, only Ravindra Jadeja has bowled more for India in that period.
"If you see Siraj's workload over the last two years (since January 1, 2023), you will have to sit back and admire, and appreciate," said Chopra. "If you talk about the fast bowlers across the world, he is in the third spot - Pat Cummins (871.3 overs), Mitchell Starc (856.2 overs), and Mohammed Siraj (792.5 overs). For India, only Jaddu has bowled more - almost 1000 overs."
Chopra went on to praise the pacer’s fighting spirit, referencing India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate’s words.
"Ryan ten Doeschate also said we don't talk about Siraj enough, but we are fortunate to have him in the team. He gives everything he has. He doesn’t hold back anything. It’s a blessing. Many times in Tests, fast bowlers turn their backs when the captain looks at them - Siraj is not one of them," he asserted.
Despite leading the wicket charts in the series with 13 wickets at an average of 32.00, Chopra believes Siraj is often overshadowed by Jasprit Bumrah, just as greats like Tendulkar and Kohli once eclipsed their teammates.
"Not all bowlers are as skillful as Bumrah, and when you're alongside an all-time great, you often get overlooked," he said.
He also pointed out how Siraj has been unlucky at times due to fielding lapses. "Siraj's best mode of dismissal is caught, so when someone like KL Rahul drops a chance, like he did with Jamie Smith at Lord’s, it affects Siraj’s numbers," he said.
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