MANCHESTER: India pacer Mohammed Siraj on Monday confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will play the Manchester Test starting Wednesday. On being asked about the speedster's availability for the match, Siraj said, "Jassi Bhai will play now."
Speaking further on the subject, he said, "But as the combination is changing day by day, we have only one plan that we should win. We try to bowl in good areas and that has made England play with a lot of patience in the last match. So we felt good."
Like other teams, India too have been resting their pacers as a part of workload management. However, Siraj has been playing Test matches continuously for the past few years. Incidentally, he has bowled the most overs among the Indian bowlers in the ongoing series. He credited almighty for his fitness and said his mindset is to win matches for the country. "My only mindset is that if I am getting the opportunity, I should use it well and win matches for my country and perform well. So this is the only mindset that I should play as many matches as possible for the country."
He said the biggest motivation for him is representing the country and helping it win the matches. "There is no secret of my energy on the field. When you play for the country, the biggest motivation is that you are representing the country. So the biggest source of energy is that when I play for the country, then I want to give my 100 per cent so that when I go to sleep, I shouldn't feel that I missed this, and I should have done this. I shouldn't have any regrets. Whatever result comes, I have only one plan that I should give my 100 per cent."
He, however, did not give any insight on the combination the team management is looking at for the contest. He also applauded England captain Ben Stokes and appreciated the way he bowled a couple of long spells in the Lord's Test, which India lost by 22 runs.
Siraj was the last wicket to fall in the third match. Despite all his efforts to see the team home along with Ravindra Jadeja, an unfortunate dismissal meant India lost the contest. Siraj said it was heartbreaking for him. "Obviously, in such a match, getting out in such a manner was heartbreaking. Given my partnership with Jaddu bhai, I felt that I would not be able to get out, because as much as I was playing, I was getting a lot of confidence. But unfortunately, I got out. Had we won the match there, it would have been 2-1 in favour of India here."
He admitted it took him a lot of time to get over that dismissal which eventually resulted in India's loss. "I am an emotional person and losing a match from that point was very difficult to accept. Jaddu bhai had worked so hard in that match and even Bumrah played 54 balls. So it was difficult to move on," he said.
Siraj also talked about the sledging and how he tries to unsettle batters by having chats with them on the field. "When they are defensive and wickets are hard to come by then I talk to them to make them play differently. It happens in the heat of the moment as well." He also said the same will continue in the upcoming matches.
The Hyderabad pacer accepted it helps him when he is the leader of the pack in absence of Bumrah. "When I get that responsibility of being the leader of the pack, it feels good. I take pride in doing that for the country," he signed off.