Mohammed Siraj believes his drop in pace during India’s recent Sri Lanka tour was largely due to a two-month break from competitive cricket. The Indian fast bowler has now regained his rhythm after a demanding outing in the Duleep Trophy final, where he bowled 41 overs for South Zone ahead of the upcoming international assignments.
Siraj struggled to produce his usual pace during the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, frequently operating in the late 120s instead of his preferred early-to-mid 140s. The pacer admitted that the extended break affected his rhythm and run-up.
“Coming off a two-month break straight into a match, my rhythm wasn’t quite there. I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I simply can’t explode through the crease. That was the struggle in Sri Lanka—my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace,” Mohammed Siraj said after the Duleep Trophy final.
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His break began after the Afghanistan Test in June and continued until the Sri Lanka series in August. The 41 overs he bowled in Chennai proved valuable as he worked his way back towards full rhythm and intensity.
“It was very tough. We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three and a half days fielding in the second Test at Colombo, and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai’s sweltering heat,” Mohammed Siraj said.
🗣️ ‘My body doesn’t handle long breaks well’
Siraj on losing and rediscovering his rhythm: https://t.co/5S9tlYG80F pic.twitter.com/P1g4txCSBC
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 11, 2026
However, the fast bowler stressed that representing India leaves no room for excuses. “For me, it comes down to passion. When you’re representing your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give every ounce of effort for your team and nation,” he added.
Siraj went wicketless in the first innings against East Zone and conceded 140 runs, but he remained focused on rediscovering his rhythm rather than worrying about the figures.
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He also benefited from advice from senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who represented East Zone in the final. “In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t quite finding his natural rhythm. I just reminded him that to get back on top, he needed to return to his core strengths. When your run-up and rhythm are in sync, your line and length fall into place automatically,” Shami said.
