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'Great feeling to work under a captain who understands you': Siraj on how Rohit motivates bowlers during 'tough time'
Siraj also recalled the iconic 2020/21 Test series win in Australia, where he finished the tour as India's leading wicket-taker with 13 plucks at 29.53.
Rohit Sharma has been rested for the five Twenty20 internationals against South Africa but the all-format captain will return to lead the Indian side in the one-off Test in Birmingham, beginning July 1. The 35-year-old Rohit, who took over the reins of India captaincy in all three formats from Virat Kohli, recorded a series sweep over New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies at home. But he now faces a stiff challenge in England as the Indian camp looks to clinch the crucial Test, which had been scheduled for last September at Old Trafford but was postponed following Covid-19 cases in the Indian camp.
The Indian Test contingent is expected to thrive under the leadership of Rohit, who has gained praise for his tactical acumen. A cool customer who gives his players the freedom to decide what they want to do, the highly-successful Mumbai Indians (MI) leader is no stranger to leading a side.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj has also heaped praise on the current India skipper, saying Rohit has a 'plan B' up his sleeve. "Rohit understands the mental state of a player. Whenever we have a tough time out there on the field, he is the one who comes up with a plan B and motivates the bowlers to do better in the game. It's a great feeling to work under a captain who understands you so well," Siraj told ANI.
Siraj also recalled India's iconic 2020/21 Test series win in Australia, where he finished the tour as India's leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets at 29.53 including a five-wicket haul in the Boxing Day Test.
"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 8 wickets against Australia A. So, it gave me the confidence to do well in my first Test series for India," said Siraj.
In the recently concluded IPL, Siraj had an economy rate of 10.07 with only nine wickets from 15 games. He may have endured a subdued IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, but the paceman looks to make a smooth transition to the red-ball format in England.
"Right now, we have some time before we play the Test against England so for now, I would be training at the ground near my house and working on my fitness, as jumping from T20 to Test is a big change. To bowl those long spells in Test cricket, I really need to focus on my consistency, and it will be my only goal," Siraj further said.
