Follow UsFormer Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar strongly praised Mohammed Siraj for his incredible effort in India’s dramatic series-levelling win against England at The Oval on August 4 (Monday), stating that the fast bowler “debunked forever this business of workload".
Ahead of the five-match Test series, much of the discussion revolved around Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management. The premier fast bowler had informed the Indian team management that he would only be available for three of the five Tests, and that’s exactly how it played out. Coincidentally, India failed to win any of the matches Bumrah featured in and secured victories in both matches he missed.
In stark contrast, Siraj played all five Tests and emerged as India’s workhorse. He not only finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets at an average of 32.43 and a strike rate of 48.3, but also bowled more than 1100 deliveries (185.3 overs) - the most by any bowler in the series - on pitches that largely favoured batting.
“There's always the saying that the bowlers win your matches but the fact of the matter is that you've also got to score the runs. So because India didn't score the runs, they lost those two matches. So yes, I think Siraj bowled his heart out and he debunked forever this business of workload,” Gavaskar told India Today, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Gavaskar, a long-time critic of the term “workload,” doubled down on his views by suggesting it’s more of a mental barrier than a physical limitation. “I hope that the word ‘workload’ goes out of the Indian Cricket dictionary. I've been saying that for a long time. For five Test matches nonstop, he bowled 6-over, 7-over, 8-over spells because the captain wanted it, and the country expected of him. And I think that is the one thing that we all should keep in mind that this workload is only a mental thing, not so much a physical thing.
“If you are going to succumb to people who are talking about workload, then you are never going to have your best players on the field. You've got to get them to a situation where you say, 'Hello, you are playing for your country, and when you are playing for your country, you got to forget the aches and pains in your muscles. That is what you mean on the border. Do you think the jawans complain about the cold, or what is the situation?
“They are there to give their lives for the country. Give your very best for the country. Don't worry about accident pains. What did Rishabh Pant show you? He came out bat with a fracture. That is the kind of thing you want to expect from your team. That is the, that's something that you want to expect. Don't go by the little injuries. It is an honor given to you amongst 140 crores of people, so you are so lucky to be able to represent India. And you should not take that lightly. And this what we have seen with Siraj, five Test matches, bowling non stop.”
However, Gavaskar also clarified that his remarks weren’t a criticism of Bumrah. “Not a problem in home series, but definitely in overseas series, where you're taking a team overseas, and the balance of the team can get affected. At home, you have ample time to call out to reserves, so it's not so much of an issue. But going overseas, you have to maybe look at that factor.
“But Bumrah was an injury issue, not a workload thing. He's had a serious injury. And so therefore I think that also has to be taken into consideration. When he played the two Test matches, he took two fifers. India might not have won, but he took those wickets. So you mustn't forget what a wonderful bowler he is.”