Mohammed Siraj debuted in Melbourne in a highly-successful campaign Down Under, where India registered a memorable 2-1 series win. He was only thinking of his deceased father, who had passed away a few days ago, thinking his ‘dad should’ve been here’. Mohammed Siraj had a memorable debut as he claimed 3/37 in the second innings to help India to an eight-wicket win against Australia.
The fast bowler would script memorable figures that would witness him claim 13 wickets in the series, out of which five came in the final Test at the iconic Gabba when India breached Australia’s almost impenetrable fortress. Mohammed Siraj would eventually finish as the third-highest wicket-taker of the series from three games with only Pat Cummins and fellow RCB pacer Josh Hazlewood leading the tally ahead of the Indian pacer.
Mohammed Siraj Opens Up On the Tough Time After Losing His Father During Historic India- Australia Series 2020/21
That series, however, was a defining moment in Mohammed Siraj’s career given the fact that he lost his dad just ahead of the series. Alongside his family travails, he was also battling racism and the stringent Covid-19 protocols that were in place, the report on the RCB website said. Mohammed Siraj opened up about one of the toughest and yet one of the most memorable moments of his life after the series.
“It was really tough for me. My dad was ill during the IPL too. But family members hadn’t told me that the matter was serious. I got to know about his condition when I landed in Australia,” Siraj was quoted as saying by RCB in an article on their official website.
Mohammed Siraj also shed some light on the pandemic protocols that were in place at that time.
“There was Covid-19 protocol as well. We had to quarantine. When we had our practice, I got to know about dad’s death. My mother made me strong during that period. She told me, ‘Fulfil your dad’s dream and make your country proud’. This was my only motivation. I didn’t even know if I will get a chance to play. There were senior bowlers in the team.”
But he did get his chance and the rest as they say is history. Mohammed Siraj finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in the Australia series in 2020/21 (13 wickets in three games). So far in his Test match career, he has picked 36 wickets in 12 Test matches with an average of 29.64 with a five-wicket haul (5/73) at the Gabba.
Mohammed Siraj Recollects Memories Of Debuting In The 2nd Test At Melbourne Against Australia Down Under
But on that occasion, the only person on Mohammed Siraj’s mind was his father, whose funeral he could not attend due to the strict Covid-19 pandemic protocols in place at that time.
“I finally got an opportunity in the second Test… When I wore my cap in Melbourne, I thought dad should’ve been here. After Mohammed Shami got injured, I got a chance to play for India. One thing was there in my mind that I had performed well for India A and had scalped eight wickets against Australia A. So it gave me the confidence to do well in my first Test series for India,” he added.
After a disappointing IPL 2022, Mohammed Siraj is now getting ready for the one-off rescheduled Test against England in the upcoming tour and is hoping to get his form back and help India win another series abroad. India were leading the Test series in England 2-1 with only the fifth and final match to be played when they had to pull out due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad.
Mohammed Siraj was expensive for RCB where he conceded over 10 runs per over in 15 matches and also conceded 31 sixes in the tournament, the most for a bowler in the season. Before the start of the season, Mohammed Siraj was one of the three players retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Bengaluru-based outfit had retained him for Rs 7 crore after his impressive outings in the last couple of years.
In both seasons, he had picked up 11 wickets. Last year, he also maintained a stunning economy rate of 6.78. Mohammed Siraj, however, failed to put up a similar performance in this year’s IPL. In 15 games, he managed to pick up only 9 wickets averaging a pathetic 57.11, and had an economy rate of more than 10 runs (10.08) per over.