“I’m purely a rhythm bowler,” Siraj said after the Duleep Trophy final at Chepauk on Thursday. “If I’m not in sync, I 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.

“Every bowler’s body is different, but mine doesn’t handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off. I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward.”

“We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three-and-a-half days fielding in the second Test, and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai’s sweltering heat,” Siraj said. “But for me, it comes down to passion. When you’re representing your country, you can’t make excuses. You have to give every bit of your effort for your team and nation. Even if I didn’t get the wickets to show for it today, that hard work will pay off at the international level.”

“In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t finding his natural rhythm compared to how he bowled later. I just reminded him that to get back on top, he needed to return to his core strengths”

Mohammed Shami

Siraj fared much better in the second innings, bowling with greater control and pace even though the Chepauk conditions offered little help to any sort of bowling. After threatening Abhimanyu’s inside edge, Siraj got a perfectly pitched delivery to veer away from the Bengal opener and brush his outside edge.

Siraj also challenged Ishan Kishan’s outside edge from around the wicket in an incisive opening spell of 6-2-9-1.

“In the first innings, the pitch looked fresh, so I tried to bowl too fast. Because I was forcing it, my rhythm was off,” Siraj said. “In the second innings, I told myself to forget the outcome and just run in with good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back, and the ball started coming out beautifully.”

“Whenever I interact with guys I’ve played with or share a good bond with, I focus on their skill,” Shami said. “In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t finding his natural rhythm compared to how he bowled later. 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. That’s all we were talking about.”

“After two months off, your body doesn’t react the same way – everything feels a bit slower,” Siraj said. “Getting through this game got my body moving again and brought my rhythm right back.”