India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke about Mohammed Siraj’s recent form and his chances of playing in the next Test match against New Zealand in Pune. Ten Doeschate feels that Siraj is just going through a “bad drought” and will quickly shake it off.
Mohammed Siraj’s form is one of the biggest concerns for India from the first Test in Bengaluru. Despite the pitch helping the fast bowlers, Siraj was not at his best and picked up just 2 wickets in the match.
The 30-year-old fast bowler returned figures of 2-84 and 0-16 in his two Test match innings. He bowled well on the final day but failed to add to the wickets column as India defended a low total.
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Ryan ten Doeschate breaks silence on Mohammed Siraj’s form
At the press conference ahead of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune, Ten Doeschate was asked about Mohammad Siraj’s form and chances to play in the next match.
The former Dutch international reckons Sirac batted well on Day 5, although the goals column will have nothing to show for it. He claimed that Siraj was bowling well but was just going through a bad drought.
“(Mohammed) Siraj batted beautifully in the second innings. We had a really high quality last morning. And maybe it wasn’t the nicking wicket that was his big strength, especially for left-handers when he side-stepped the ball,” Ten Doeschate told reporters.
“It’s probably not the answer you want to hear, but there’s nothing to say. It’s like he’s not bowling well or his rhythm is not good. And maybe he’s going through a bit of a bad drought,” he reckons.
Mohammed Siraj is currently not having a good season at home. The fast bowler played seven home Tests in 2024 and took just 12 wickets at an average of 42.83. But India have not been impressed by Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational bowling comeback in Tests this year.
No worries about Mohammed Siraj’s form – Ryan ten Doeschate
India’s assistant coach later dismissed any concerns over Mohammad Siraj’s form. He feels that if the fast bowler can work on a few tactical things and get the stumps going, he will be among the wickets in the next game.
“But no, no worries again. I’m sure if he’s given a chance here, there’s a few tactical things we’d like to work on, going around the wicket and challenging the stumps a bit more. But he’s got good pace, he’s got good accuracy and he’s excellent in the second innings. I thought it was,” added Ten Doeschate.
Will Akash Deep replace Muhammad Siraj?
Mohammed Siraj is a key player for India, especially in overseas Tests. His form will be key in India’s five-Test series in Australia starting next month. Siraj’s form will be key for India as Mohammed Shami continues to recover from surgery.
With Akash Deep already out, there are chances of Siraj being dropped for the next Test in Pune. Akash showed good form in the recent Tests against Bangladesh and could be a good addition to the Playing XI.
