NEW DELHI: Workload management in Indian cricket has mostly centered around Jasprit Bumrah. To keep the team's pace spearhead fully fit, the management often rests him between series, which resulted in Bumrah playing only three matches in the five-Test series against England.
On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj, another premier Indian pacer in Tests, played all five matches and finished as the series' highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps, including a match-winning performance in the final Test at The Oval that helped India draw the series 2-2.
Earlier, Siraj had stated that he tends to perform better in Bumrah's absence, but the pacer later clarified his comments and explained the context behind them.
"When I get an opportunity to shoulder responsibility, even if you look at a mundane series, my performance always grows. Responsibility gives me a different kind of joy, and boosts my confidence. I told you at Edgbaston that people are talking about me, and it's time to make all that talk stop. I usually am very aware of what I'm doing, and do not pay heed to what people are saying because people do not know my struggle. Despite that, I thought it's time to stop such talk because it was getting too much," Siraj while speaking to RevSportz.
Siraj explained that with Bumrah sidelined due to injury and workload management, he took it upon himself to keep the morale high.
"With Jassi Bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) not being there due to his back injury and his workload being managed, I tried my bit to keep the positivity in the bowling unit. Whenever I was talking to my teammates, Akash Deep and all, I was trying to spread the belief that we can do it. We can repeat what we have done already," Siraj explained.
