The former captain of India, Sunil Gavaskar, has desired to see the omission of the veteran fast bowler of the side, Mohammad Siraj, for the fifth and final New Year’s Test in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, as the latter has been struggling badly with his form and rhythm since the opening game of the series at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
The Hyderabad-born pacer, just like some of the senior batters of India, didn’t enjoy a great time at home in the three-match series against New Zealand as he could pick up only two wickets in three innings in Bengaluru and Mumbai. There were concerns over his form and fitness coming into the red-ball series down under.
But Siraj turned the clock back with his magical performance of five wickets in Perth, where he generated pace and thunder to unsettle the batters, as they earned a 295-run victory in the opening clash. In the second pink-ball day-night encounter, he collected four wickets but leaked several runs as Travis Head smacked him around the park.
Sunil Gavaskar suggests India include Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana
During India’s third Test of the series at the Gabba, Brisbane, he ended up with 2/96 in the first innings, followed by 2/36 in the second. But the graph slowly started to go down as the series progressed. He was thumped all around the park for 122 runs in 23 overs, with no wickets in the bag to display.
In 34 Tests so far, Siraj has picked up 93 wickets at an average of under 30 and a strike rate of 52.2 with the help of three five-wicket hauls and six four-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/15 against South Africa at the start of the year in Cape Town. His drop in form has not helped India in helping their premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, who has shouldered the bowling department on his own.
The former opening batter of the national side, Sunil Gavaskar, has addressed it would be high time for the management to provide a vital break to Siraj, who shouldn’t be beating around the bush.
“I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense that, I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can’t beat around the bush. You need to be brutally upfront and say ‘Look, your performance has not been up to scratch, and therefore, you are being dropped’. When you start talking about ‘rest’, players get the wrong ideas. They feel they don’t need to up their game.” The former captain of India, Sunil Gavaskar, expressed during a discussion on Star Sports at the end of the second day’s play.
India has already used Harshit Rana in the series for the first two fixtures, while they also have the services of Prasidh Krishna if needed. The Mumbai-born has shown his faith in one of those two pacers for the Sydney Test.
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“But I think Siraj needs to be told ‘Look, you are not bowling as well as we expected you to on pitches that have been helpful’. That is something that needs to be told. If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah. By all means, do that.” Gavaskar advised.
In India’s two Tests, Krishna has underperformed, taking just two wickets at an average of 65. But it will be interesting to see what the Indian management decides for the New Year’s Test.