Fast bowling is a hard-working job in cricket. It takes a lot of toll on you, especially in test cricket, when the series is long. India’s pace spearhead, Mohammad Siraj, has been in the Indian cricket setup for a while now. He made his international debut in November 2017 against New Zealand in a T20I game at Rajkot. But he made his debut in his favourite format (test cricket) in 2020. Mohammad Siraj has been one of the crucial parts of the test side. He bowls his heart out, gives it all on the field. Especially, Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah is a different beast altogether.
Today, we will discuss Mohammad Siraj – The Lion Hearted warrior, and how much he has given to Indian cricket, particularly in test cricket. We will also discuss Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah, the statistical comparison regarding the same, and why it happened. There are so many other things to talk about Siraj in this article. Going forward, you will get to know those things. So don’t go anywhere and delve deep into it.
Mohammad Siraj – A Red Ball Bowler
Mohammad Siraj came into the scene after performing well in the domestic circuit. He continues to grind in the domestic circuit and was eventually rewarded with a place. But before coming into the Indian team, he played in the Indian Premier League (IPL). For the first few years of IPL, his true potential did not come out, and there was a lot of talk about Siraj – The Red Ball Bowler.
Mohammad Siraj made his T20I debut against New Zealand in 2017. Then, he made his ODI debut against Australia on January 15, 2019. But he came into the test side during the COVID-19 period, during the BGT 2020-21. Siraj lost his father when he was in Australia. He has a very difficult decision to make: whether to go home or to stay with the team. Because once he went out of the bio-secure bubble, he had to serve the quarantine period, which would cost him a place in the playing XI.
Eventually, Siraj stayed with the team and got the chance in the playing XI. Since then, he has never looked back as a test cricketer. Siraj is a complete fast bowler, bowls with a good pace, and can swing the ball both ways. He is more of a seam bowler, but with time, he has nurtured the skill of pitching it up and swinging the ball. The pacer has a very good bouncer, and after playing a lot of IPL, he has added a good yorker to his arsenal. Over the years, he has developed the skill of bowling with a semi-new ball and an old ball as well. He is a great asset to the Indian Cricket Team.
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Siraj – A Lion Hearted Warrior
Apart from Siraj’s skills, his strength and stamina to bowl longer spells make him even more of a special player. He is a fierce competitor and has that fast bowler’s attitude. Siraj is always on the face of a batter and never shies away from taking the challenge.
The fast bowling is a thankless job. It takes a lot of courage to clock high speeds on a consistent basis in test cricket. In the history of test cricket, we have seen that a lot of fast bowlers can’t sustain for a long duration. When a player is a fast bowler, he can’t play all test matches if the series is of longer duration (like a 4 or 5-match test series). Fatigue is a normal thing for a fast bowler as a long series progresses.
Mohammad Siraj is showing how well he has carried himself. His fitness is up to the mark, and he never complains about workload management. There is a DISCLAIMER for all the readers that praising Siraj on workload doesn’t mean that we are targeting other bowlers. Everyone has their own way of handling their body and workload. Like for example, Jasprit Bumrah’s action and his current condition do not allow him to go full throttle in all test matches.
Siraj continued to bowl at the same intensity and gave it all on the field. He played all five test matches in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Now, he has played all five tests in the IND vs ENG 2025 test series. From bowling a new spell in the morning to bowling the last spell of the day, his intensity, energy, and intent never go down.
Siraj’s Fiver Helps Team India to Level the Series 2-2
Mohammad Siraj is having an amazing time with the ball in the series, so we need to update our article. Siraj has taken a five-for in the 2nd inning of the Oval test to help Team India level the series 2-2. He bowled his last ball of the match at 143kmph despite bowling 180+ overs in the IND vs ENG 5-match series. The right-arm pacer bowled his heart out in the game, and India won the match by 6 runs. It is a big achievement for this young Indian team and personally for Mohammad Siraj as well. He has proved his worth, and more so in the absence of a star pace,r Jasprit Bumrah.
Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah – A Different Gravy
It can generally be seen that if a team has a pack of good fast bowlers, they will do well in tandem. They will hunt in pairs and make the opposition batters’ lives difficult. But it is not the case in Siraj’s case. He becomes doubly dangerous when given an extra responsibility. There was a time when India used to have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the mix. After a while, only Shami, Siraj, and Bumrah were left in the mix, and the trio has done well for India. But Siraj’s number without the star pacer Bumrah is even better.
The number shows that Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah is a different bowler altogether. With Shami struggling to play test cricket due to injury, Siraj is the leader of the bowling attack without Bumrah. His number shows that he averages 24.2 without Bumrah. When Siraj plays with Bumrah, he averages 33.9 in test cricket. Let us now see the stats of Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah and with Jasprit Bumrah.
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Mohammad Siraj with Jasprit Bumrah (Statistics)
As of August 2025, Siraj has played a total of 24 test matches with Bumrah. In those games, he has picked up 73 wickets. When it comes to away test matches, Siraj has picked up 64 wickets in 35 innings at an average of 33.9 while playing with Bumrah.
Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah (Statistics)
Mohammad Siraj without Jasprit Bumrah shows different numbers. He has played 17 tests without Bumrah and picked up 44 wickets. In away tests, Siraj has taken 34 wickets in 15 innings at an average of 24.2.
Siraj’s Stats with or without Bumrah in Tests (As of August 01, 2025) (In Table Form)
Overall
| With or Without Bumrah | Innings | Wickets | Average |
| With Bumrah | 35 | 64 | 33.9 |
| Without Bumrah | 15 | 34 | 24.2 |
In Away Tests
| With or Without Bumrah | Matches | Wickets |
| With Bumrah | 24 | 73 |
| Without Bumrah | 17 | 44 |
The number clearly shows that Siraj loves responsibility. He thrives under pressure and makes things happen in the absence of Bumrah. He leads from the front when Bumrah is not there. Now the question arises, why has it happened? Let us now see the possible reasons.
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Reasons Why Siraj Does Well in the Absence of Bumrah
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Leadership and Responsibility
Siraj loves to take more responsibility. In the absence of Bumrah, he leads the bowling attack from the front, especially in the away tests. Some players love extra responsibility. Just like Virat Kohli’s batting numbers go up when he became the captain. Siraj loves extra responsibility and shows how good he is.
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Shares a New Ball
When Bumrah plays, Siraj is likely to play as a third seamer. He bowls one change with Bumrah, and Shami shares the new ball. In Bumrah’s absence, he takes the new ball, which will help him take wickets more frequently. He has the skills to make things happen with the new ball. In fact, when Siraj plays without both Bumrah and Shami, he averages 22.27. He will also get the preferred end to bowl to when plays without Shami and Bumrah.
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Batters Mindset
The mindset of the opposition batters will be different in the absence of Bumrah. After knowing that they don’t have to face the threat of Bumrah, the opposition batters will look to attack freely. It helps Siraj to create more wicket-taking opportunities for himself.
CONCLUSION: When Siraj Leads, He Gets More Lethal
The conclusion is, when Siraj leads the attack, he becomes a more lethal bowler. He is a weapon for Team India who just cannot get tired. Siraj bowled an 8-over spell in the Oval Test in the IND vs ENG 5th test 2025. Now, Bumrah is not there with the team in the Oval test. In that case, Siraj’s performance will make a difference in the results. If he does well in the second inning of the Oval test, India can fancy their chances and can go home with a 2-2 result. It will be a big achievement for this young Indian team. Let’s see how things panned out for them.
What do you think? Will India tie the series at 2-2? And what’s your opinion on Mohammad Siraj without the Jasprit Bumrah debate? Comment down below. Thank you for reading. Keep following sportschilly.com for the latest updates.
FAQs:-
(1) How many test wickets has Mohammad Siraj taken in test cricket?
A. As of August 01, 2025 (till the IND vs ENG Oval Test 2025 2nd inning), Mohammad Siraj has played 41 tests and taken 118 wickets at an average of 31.49 and a strike rate of 52.86. He has 4 five-wicket hauls in his test career so far.
(2) What is the age of Mohammad Siraj?
A. As of August 2025, Siraj is 31 years old. He was born on March 13, 1994.
(3) When did Mohammad Siraj make his IPL debut?
A. Siraj made his IPL debut on April 19, 2017, against Delhi Capitals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
(4) How many international wickets has Mohammad Siraj taken so far?
A. As of now, Siraj has 203 international wickets to his name.
(5) How many test wickets has Siraj taken without Jasprit Bumrah in away test matches?
A. As of August 01, 2025, Siraj has taken 44 test wickets in away games, without Bumrah.
