Shubman Gill clears the air on Mohammed Siraj after performance in Sri Lanka leaves a lot to be desired: ‘Not injured’

Mohammed Siraj was far from his best in the two-match series against Sri Lanka.

India captain Shubman Gill refused to point fingers after his team was denied a 2-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka, backing both Mohammed Siraj and the rest of the bowling attack following a dramatic final day at the Sinhalese Sports Club. India had spent most of the second Test in Colombo in a commanding position and needed only four wickets on the final day to complete a 2-0 series sweep. However, Sri Lanka’s resistance, led by a determined unbeaten century from Sonal Dinusha, stretched deep into the final session and ultimately forced the two teams to settle for a draw on Thursday.

Mohammed Siraj was far from his best against Sri Lanka. (PTI)

Siraj, in particular, came under scrutiny after an unusually subdued performance with the ball. The fast bowler appeared to lack his usual pace and penetration, raising questions about whether he was carrying a fitness issue. Gill, however, dismissed suggestions that Siraj had been struggling with an injury.

Gill backed the experienced seamer and pointed to the workload and conditions involved in breaking down a stubborn Sri Lankan batting line-up. Siraj finished with 15 overs for 26 runs on the final day, but could not produce the breakthrough India desperately needed. In the entire series, his speeds were down to 125 to 130kmph and he only managed to take four wickets.

“Firstly, no, Siraj wasn't injured we also felt that, even in the first match what happens is, after such a long time, when a person is playing his match last he played was Afghanistan, which was in June so he was playing almost after a couple of months so after 1.5-2 months, when a person plays it takes time for someone to come back in the rhythm,” Gill told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“In the first test, we also felt the pace was slow, but sometimes when you play, you come back into the rhythm. As far as the injury is concerned, it was nothing like that,” he added.

India slip up

The draw must have been difficult to digest for India, given how comprehensively they had controlled the match for long periods. India posted 503 in their first innings before bowling Sri Lanka out for 290, establishing a substantial advantage. With rain a potential threat to the result, Gill's side opted to enforce the follow-on rather than give the hosts another opportunity to rest their bowlers and bat under less pressure.

The decision appeared to be paying dividends when Sri Lanka slipped to 218 for 6. India were four wickets away from victory, but Dinusha once again stood between them and a series sweep. His unbeaten 133 not only frustrated India but also consumed valuable time. By the time Sri Lanka reached safety, the visitors had run out of realistic opportunities to force a result.