IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: How has Mohammed Siraj performed in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah? Details here

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj delivered a sensational performance at Edgbaston on Friday (July 4), dismantling England’s batting lineup with a six-wicket haul. This marked his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, placing him in a rare group of Indian pacers to have achieved this feat in Australia, West Indies, South Africa and now England. But what made this performance truly special was the timing, when India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was missing, Siraj rose to the challenge. Statistics show that Siraj thrives when given more responsibility. As Siraj picked a six-fer in the absence of Bumrah, let's understand how Siraj has fared when he led the pack.

Since his Test debut in July 2017, Siraj’s stats show a clear trend: he performs with more responsibility and there is a psychology behind it. When Bumrah is part of the team, there’s a natural expectation that he will take charge and lead the bowling attack. However, in his absence, Siraj recognises the responsibility that falls on his shoulders to get the job done for India. Let's understand this through stats.

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Siraj without Bumrah and Shami

1. In 23 Tests played with Bumrah, Siraj averaged 33.82 with the ball.
2. In 15 Tests without Bumrah, that average improves significantly to 25.20.
3. In 12 Tests without Bumrah and Shami, Siraj’s bowling average drops even further to an impressive 22.27.

These numbers state that bigger the responsibility, the better Siraj performs.

Interestingly, during the Birmingham Test, Siraj made a smart tactical shift to line and lengths. He switched his line slightly straighter, aiming at the wickets to suit the slow, low pitch of Birmingham.

1. Siraj's channel deliveries dropped from 47.5% in Leeds to 42.9% in Birmingham.
2. His straight-line deliveries increased from 22.5% to 33.8%.

(Channel deliveries mean deliveries bowled outside the off-stump area.)

This change was evident as three of his six wickets came from balls projected to hit the stumps.

A 10-wicket match haul is now within reach for Siraj. If he manages four more wickets in the second innings, he will become only the second Indian pacer after Chetan Sharma (10/188 in 1986 at Birmingham) to take 10 wickets in a Test match on English soil.