'He did not have proper..' - Mohammed Siraj's former teammate recalls early struggles after ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Mohammed Siraj’s rise to becoming one of India's leading fast bowlers is nothing short of inspirational. Speaking on the occasion, former Hyderabad opening batter Akshath Reddy reminisced about the time they played together when Siraj faced immense financial struggle. In a chat with Mid-day, Reddy revealed that Siraj did not even have proper cricket spikes and would often slip while bowling on grassy surfaces.

“I remember he did not have proper spikes and so would often slip on the grass. Azeem helped him with a new [pair of spikes]. But he bowled really fast stuff anyway. No batter could play him,” said Reddy. He further added that Siraj’s raw pace made it extremely difficult for batters, even at that stage, to play him comfortably. Siraj made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in a Ranji Trophy match against Services in November 2015.

Supporting Reddy’s observation, former India cricketer Arshad Ayub praised Siraj’s natural speed and hunger for success. Ayub said that the Hyderabad selectors noticed his potential early on and fast-tracked him into the Ranji side. He added, “Siraj was very fast. He had that hunger to excel. We saw his potential and selected him for the U-22 team and eventually fast-tracked him to the Ranji team in 2015. The next year we had Bharat Arun as our coach, and he molded him into a top-quality bowler.”

Siraj’s rise fuelled by India ‘A’ experience and determination

Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad credited Siraj's development to systematic grooming through India ‘A’ cricket. He noted that Siraj gained confidence by bowling alongside world-class pacers and gradually built himself into a dependable Test bowler. “Systematic grooming helped Siraj grow as a fast bowler. By playing for India ‘A’ in a good number of matches, he got that confidence to bowl alongside pacers like [Mohammed] Shami and [Jasprit] Bumrah,” Prasad told Mid-day.

Prasad also lauded Siraj's character and ability to take responsibility in challenging situations. “Although he had a bad start in T20Is, he worked his way into the Test team. He had the character and is a workhorse when it comes to bowling long spells. He has always loved challenges, and today, in the absence of Bumrah, he took up the responsibility admirably,” he said. Siraj made his Test debut for India during the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December 2020, claiming 2/40 in 15 overs in the first innings.