Mohd Siraj emerges as the ROCK star for India in Birmingham Test

It’s hard being a fast bowler in cricket, whatever be the format. One man, even in absentia from the field of play, which is the 22 yards where he gets to showcase his wares is Jasprit Bumrah. When Bumrah was not named in the 11 for the second Test against England in Birmingham, there was a massive furore.  Doubts persist, did the pace ace rest himself or did the team management decide on workload management for the man. After all, Bumrah himself had said he will play only three Tests out of five in the long series to claim the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

On Friday evening at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the same Bumrah was smiling, as he was there to receive and hug his colleague, Mohd Siraj, whose lion-hearted bowling effort saw him claim six wickets for 70 runs. It may be tempting to say India are in the driver’s seat in the second Test, given the current lead they enjoy. Yet, anyone who watched how the English batters were attacking the Indian bowling fiercely will vouch claiming 20 wickets in a Test and win the contest is not easy.

The story of this Test match may have been about Indian skipper Shubman Gill’s stupendous knock in the first two days, where he scored a double ton and could have even made it a triple hundred. That’s how greedy cricket fans get, and unrealistic that, as his monumental 269 runs was built on the pillars of concentration and technique. It also brought into focus the placid nature of the pitch, where the English bowlers realised it’s hard even for their own bowlers, be it the speed merchants or spinner Shoaib Bashir to take wickets.

Indeed, if Gill’s effort is guilt-edged, then what Mohd Siraj and Akash Deep did with the ball on Friday, to share and snare 10 wickets is phenomenal stuff. The story about Siraj claiming six wickets and Akash Deep taking four brings into focus how the Indian team is learning to fight and destroy English batters even in conditions which are unhelpful to a point of being a lifeless wicket.

For those who have watched cricket in England, even if on TV sets, the general feeling is their wickets help the fast bowlers. No, the wickets these days in England, be it in the first Test at Leeds or in Edgbaston are not the same. It looks placid and more than nip in the air and help off the surface, the bowlers have to create the magic.

Siraj is a lion-hearted bowler who has been constantly been flirting with success. For a fast bowler, from any country, to claim a five-wicket haul in an innings is something as big as a batter smashing a hundred. Runs come easy, even though one false shot can cost the wicket. For the bowler, in unhelpful conditions, to create an impact and induce mistakes is very hard work. For those who have followed Siraj in his career, the initial story was typical of hyping someone from Hyderabad who came from a humble background.

It was nice to read early on, the son of an autorickshaw driver from Hyderabad made it big. Does an athlete get painted in bold stokes just because of his background and the circumstances? No, that should not be the case, really. Indian sport, which included cricket as well, has seen players emerge not just from the big cities like New Delhi and Mumbai but also Tier 2 cities and smaller towns. Hyderabad is a world class city and has produced terrific cricketers, be it batters or bowlers.

So, like the historic Charminar which stands majestically in the old city, Siraj showed that he is also a class act, waiting to be recognised. Does one just appreciate Siraj for his six wickets because of the stats or what he has put in as effort? There is context and effort which needs to be appreciated, since this Indian Test team is in transition. For many, including this writer, to imagine the side without Bumrah is scary. One has to accept it, Bumrah will never play five Tests again in a long series. He has done enough and the smiling man has made it clear his back cannot shoulder the same load.

So, for Siraj to step up as the lead bowler and take charge is defining. Not only did he have to himself bowl incisive spells where he took the vital wickets of Joe Root and Ben Stokes. That he used the first new ball as well as the second new ball to claim wickets defined Siraj the bowler. He knew he is no longer support-cast, he is the hero. He had to, as Bumrah is not going to be around in all Tests.

At the same time, fast bowlers have to chat with a wicket-keeper as smart as Rishabh Pant and also encourage the other bowlers. It is no exaggeration, Siraj also had to motivate Akash Deep, as well as Prasidh Krishna, who were the assistants. Prasidh is no longer famous, if the meaning from the Hindi word is translated as famous. But then, it is so easy to be a social media expert and write the epitaph of a bowler.

For those who thought an ageing Mohd Shami would be the perfect foil to Jasprit Bumrah, that was foolish thinking. Post-surgery, rehab  and recovery, Shami is not in best shape. So, the time has come when Indian cricket will see Siraj, often referred to as ‘DSP Saab’ for his cop role as well. Not only does he have to police on duty, he has to play bigger roles for Indian cricket. Celebrate his success, and enjoy it. This is not instant stardom but something he has toiled for. Again, if you think Siraj will be fresh and can strike in the second English innings as well, fingers crossed. Adrenaline-felted for sure, but on this lousy wicket, certainly not old England types, it will be hard.