Keep talking to Jassi bhai: Mohammed Siraj shows trust in Jasprit Bumrah to find success in Australia

India pacer Mohammed Siraj recalled how a crucial piece of advice from Jasprit Bumrah helped him return to form in the opening Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Siraj, who took only 2 wickets in the entire Test series against New Zealand, said that Bumrah asked him not to hunt for wickets but instead to focus on consistency in hitting one particular length.

Siraj, who only played 2 Tests in the 3-match home series against New Zealand, picked up 5 wickets in Perth alone and played the role of a perfect support cast to Bumrah in Perth. The pacer spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his form revival and said that the Australian pitches also had a crucial role in him getting back into rhythm.

“I always keep talking to Jassi bhai [Bumrah],” Siraj told ESPNcricinfo.

“Even before the first match, I spoke with him about what I was going through. And he just told me one thing – don’t run after wickets, just keep bowling consistently in one area and enjoy your bowling. If you still don’t get wickets, then you come ask me. So I enjoyed my bowling and I got wickets as well,” he added.

“Australia is a place where a fast bowler enjoys because you get pace and bounce. As a fast bowler, you get everything you want. So you get a different kind of confidence to come and enjoy your bowling here,” Siraj said about the wickets.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Complete Coverage

PINK BALL IS SYNTHETIC: SIRAJ

India will be playing Australia in a pink ball Test match next. Australia have never lost a pink ball Test in their history and the last time they played India in a pink ball game, they bowled the visitors out for just 36 runs in the second innings.

Siraj spoke about the feel of the pink ball and said that he had not bowled with it under the lights yet. Siraj felt that the best length for the pink ball was not fuller, as it did not swing much, unlike the traditional red-ball – from that particular length.

“This [pink] ball has a synthetic feeling,” Siraj said. “This is different to the red ball we play with. There can be a bit of confusion due to the ball, but it’s just one match so we just have to focus on that and practice for it and we’ll improve day-by-day. The seam is very hard. It’s bright, and quite big. The more you practice with it, the better you get.

“I think that with the pink ball, it’s better to bowl back of length. Because pitching it up, there’s not a lot of swing, so the more you hit the deck and get it to seam, it will be better for us.

“I have heard that the ball swings a lot under the lights but I haven’t yet bowled with it under lights. So when we go to Adelaide and practice, we will try that. And the more practice we get, we’ll know more about what we have to do,” concluded the India speedster.