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Siraj recently performed brilliantly in the Test series against England, but now questions are being raised on his fitness.
Siraj took 23 wickets in 5 Test matches in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, he bowled brilliantly in the Birmingham and Oval Tests.
In the Oval Test, Siraj took the last wicket to give India a thrilling 6-run win and draw the series.
Siraj took 49 wickets in 29 innings without Bumrah at an average of 25.1, which shows his strength.
Ashwin warned BCCI
He said on his YouTube channel,
“We failed to recognize Mohammed Siraj. It’s high time we recognize him. He has put his hand up yet again; he’s given us a massive reason. Just look at his celebrations; it’s like he’s saying, ‘This isn’t a trailer.’
This is the main picture. He’s saying, ‘Please count me as a match-winner.’ He’s reminding us what a champion bowler he is. His bowling action, technique, and work ethic allow him to play all five Tests in a series.”
Ashwin says that Siraj is getting older and it is important to manage his workload.
He said, “He’s getting older as well. It’s important for the team management to give him rest in non-important matches. He can be your No.1 Test bowler; he can be your favourite Test bowler. We need to rebuild the bowling attack.
Avesh Khan is there, Prasidh Krishna is there, Arshdeep Singh is there. We need to build it around Mohammed Siraj and his experience.”
There is also concern about Siraj’s fitness because he is continuously playing Tests.
Ashwin wants the BCCI to give Siraj rest in less important matches so that he can continue to shine for India for a long time.
Now it remains to be seen whether the BCCI follows Ashwin’s advice or not. This step is necessary to save a champion like Siraj, otherwise India’s bowling attack may weaken.