Photo via Hindustan Times

Ever optimistic, Mohammed Siraj not disappointed by the lacklustre show in Duleep Trophy final but blames ‘long breaks’

Following South Zone's defeat to champions East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, Mohammed Siraj addressed his recent bowling struggles on a batter-friendly surface in Chennai, where he finished with combined figures of 0 for 140 and 1 for 47. The pacer, who joined the squad alongside Devdutt Padikkal on short notice, explained that lengthy layoffs disrupt his mechanics, noting that an unprecedented two-month gap away from game action left his approach strides uneven and reduced his velocity.

Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill had previously touched on this issue after India claimed a 1-0 series triumph over Sri Lanka, where Siraj captured four wickets across two matches but was criticized when the bowling unit failed to force a victory during days four and five of the drawn Colombo encounter. Siraj had contested a standalone Test against Afghanistan in early June before the tour of Sri Lanka, leading to the extended period without match sharpness that gym training and sporadic net sessions could not remedy.