IND vs ENG 2025: Mohammed Siraj faces heat after Headingley Test failure; Kaif says 'use mind, not just heart'
&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IND vs ENG 2025: Mohammed Siraj faces heat after Headingley Test failure; Kaif says 'use mind, not just heart'")
Mohammed Siraj faces heat after Headingley Test failure Photograph: (AFP)
Siraj shared the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, but unlike his senior partner, who picked a fifer in the first innings, Siraj couldn’t make enough impact.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj is under fire after a below-par bowling performance in the opening Test against England at Headingley. The Indian pacer picked just two wickets in the first innings and went wicketless in the second, as India failed to defend a 371-run target, losing the first Test of the five-match series. Siraj shared the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah, but unlike his senior partner, who picked a fifer in the first innings, Siraj couldn’t make enough impact.
While he did cause some trouble for the English opener Zak Crawley and almost dismissed Ben Duckett on 97 (only for Yashasvi Jaiswal to drop the catch), the overall performance left cricket pundits and experts disappointed. His recent form has also raised concerns: the pacer scalped just eight wickets in his last 10 Tests.
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Former India batter Mohammad Kaif left no words while slamming Siraj's inconsistent bowling. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said, “People say Siraj bowls with heart. But sir, don’t bowl with your heart, bowl with your mind, with the right line and length to take wickets.”
England outplayed the Indian bowlers
Kaif further explained how England batters dealt smartly with Bumrah by playing him cautiously and going after the other three bowlers: Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna. This strategy allowed them to keep the scoreboard ticking without any risks. This strategy helped England chase the target.
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“Why didn’t Bumrah take wickets in the second innings? Because England played him safely and targeted others. That made the game plan simple,” Kaif added.
He even took it a step further by suggesting that the current pace battery isn't assisting captain Shubman Gill. Kaif said if Gill had the experience of bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Bumrah together, India would’ve likely won the Test series.
“In the same bowling lineup, give Gill Shami, Ishant, and Bumrah—and I guarantee he’ll win the series. These are bowlers who know how to take 20 wickets,” he concluded.