<p>Manchester: Ravindra Jadeja is now anointed as the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the Indian team, and righty so. There’s no aspect of cricket the southpaw is not good at. But if there’s someone who can be called the ‘Most Wholehearted Performer’, Mohammed Siraj will be the undisputed claimant.</p>.<p>With the ball in his hand, the 31-year-old fast bowler gives it his all. He comes steaming in ball after ball, bends his back relentlessly and keeps creating chances after chances. The intensity barely dips, be it the first over, the last over of a long spell or even when he’s bowling at the fag end of a long day. When he gets wickets, like in the second Test at Birmingham where he bagged 6/70 in the first innings or both innings of the Lord’s Test where he took 2/85 and 2/31 respectively, he’s at his menacing best. The pace is hot, he goes right up to batters on his follow-through, gives a friendly stare and offers some lip service as well. It appears needless confrontation at the start but his infectious smile at the end of it indicates that’s just him pumping himself to stay on full throttle.</p>.<p>Even when Siraj isn’t getting wickets despite making the ball talk, the Hyderabadi is full of energy, like a kid at a candy store. The ball may miss the edges frequently, the ones that nick the bat may be dropped, leg-before decisions don’t go his way, yet Siraj hardly sulks. Yes, you can see that despair on his face, but he quickly dusts off the disappointment, gets back to his mark and comes charging in, confident the rub of the green will go his way at some stage. </p>.<p>Another wonderful aspect about Siraj is his selfless team spirit. He would have bowled a tiring spell without gaining anything in return, but the moment someone bags a wicket, partly due to his effort, he would come charging in from one end of the field to the other to just take part in the celebrations. It was witnessed during the Lord’s Test where lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah didn’t emote much after bagging his fifth wicket to enter the coveted Honours Board. Siraj was the one who lifted Bumrah’s hands and forced him to show the ball, a customary thing all bowlers do after bagging a fifer. Siraj doesn’t seek spotlight; he finds joy in his team-mates' triumphs.</p>.<p>On the field too, Siraj is a vibrant presence. He’s not an exceptional fielder but doesn’t let a ball through and constantly puts his body on the line to stop the it from going to the boundary. He’s chirpy, keeps the energy of the guys up when the chips are down, and constantly engages with the crowd to ensure excitement in the game is always intact. Aware that he’s the senior pacer in the team and with Bumrah not around for all games, he’s ensured he’s not just a workhorse but the heartbeat of the bowling attack.</p>.<p>"I think we take for granted how lucky we are to have someone like that,” said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate of Siraj. “I know he doesn't always have the returns that you expect from a fast bowler, but in terms of heart, he's like a lion and what he brings to this bowling attack, whenever he does have the ball in hand, you always feel like something's going to happen. He's not someone who's going to shy away from workload, so it makes it even more important for us to manage his workload and make sure that he's at least fit to give his best.”</p>.<p>Siraj, during the series in Australia around the turn of the year, said his focus now is on enjoying the process rather than the results. “I know my bowling inside out, so I felt that I was not enjoying my bowling. As a person, I am the kind who, the more he enjoys, even if I don’t get wickets, I get a different kind of feeling. When I wasn’t getting wickets, I got too worked up and kept thinking 'why I wasn’t getting wickets'? In India, as you know, spinners bowl most of the overs and you are desperate to get wickets in those five-six overs you get. So in that process, I got a little down about not getting wickets. But now, I am having a lot of fun.”</p>.<p>Siraj is having the same fun here in England and providing plenty of cheer for the Indian team.</p>
<p>Manchester: Ravindra Jadeja is now anointed as the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the Indian team, and righty so. There’s no aspect of cricket the southpaw is not good at. But if there’s someone who can be called the ‘Most Wholehearted Performer’, Mohammed Siraj will be the undisputed claimant.</p>.<p>With the ball in his hand, the 31-year-old fast bowler gives it his all. He comes steaming in ball after ball, bends his back relentlessly and keeps creating chances after chances. The intensity barely dips, be it the first over, the last over of a long spell or even when he’s bowling at the fag end of a long day. When he gets wickets, like in the second Test at Birmingham where he bagged 6/70 in the first innings or both innings of the Lord’s Test where he took 2/85 and 2/31 respectively, he’s at his menacing best. The pace is hot, he goes right up to batters on his follow-through, gives a friendly stare and offers some lip service as well. It appears needless confrontation at the start but his infectious smile at the end of it indicates that’s just him pumping himself to stay on full throttle.</p>.<p>Even when Siraj isn’t getting wickets despite making the ball talk, the Hyderabadi is full of energy, like a kid at a candy store. The ball may miss the edges frequently, the ones that nick the bat may be dropped, leg-before decisions don’t go his way, yet Siraj hardly sulks. Yes, you can see that despair on his face, but he quickly dusts off the disappointment, gets back to his mark and comes charging in, confident the rub of the green will go his way at some stage. </p>.<p>Another wonderful aspect about Siraj is his selfless team spirit. He would have bowled a tiring spell without gaining anything in return, but the moment someone bags a wicket, partly due to his effort, he would come charging in from one end of the field to the other to just take part in the celebrations. It was witnessed during the Lord’s Test where lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah didn’t emote much after bagging his fifth wicket to enter the coveted Honours Board. Siraj was the one who lifted Bumrah’s hands and forced him to show the ball, a customary thing all bowlers do after bagging a fifer. Siraj doesn’t seek spotlight; he finds joy in his team-mates' triumphs.</p>.<p>On the field too, Siraj is a vibrant presence. He’s not an exceptional fielder but doesn’t let a ball through and constantly puts his body on the line to stop the it from going to the boundary. He’s chirpy, keeps the energy of the guys up when the chips are down, and constantly engages with the crowd to ensure excitement in the game is always intact. Aware that he’s the senior pacer in the team and with Bumrah not around for all games, he’s ensured he’s not just a workhorse but the heartbeat of the bowling attack.</p>.<p>"I think we take for granted how lucky we are to have someone like that,” said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate of Siraj. “I know he doesn't always have the returns that you expect from a fast bowler, but in terms of heart, he's like a lion and what he brings to this bowling attack, whenever he does have the ball in hand, you always feel like something's going to happen. He's not someone who's going to shy away from workload, so it makes it even more important for us to manage his workload and make sure that he's at least fit to give his best.”</p>.<p>Siraj, during the series in Australia around the turn of the year, said his focus now is on enjoying the process rather than the results. “I know my bowling inside out, so I felt that I was not enjoying my bowling. As a person, I am the kind who, the more he enjoys, even if I don’t get wickets, I get a different kind of feeling. When I wasn’t getting wickets, I got too worked up and kept thinking 'why I wasn’t getting wickets'? In India, as you know, spinners bowl most of the overs and you are desperate to get wickets in those five-six overs you get. So in that process, I got a little down about not getting wickets. But now, I am having a lot of fun.”</p>.<p>Siraj is having the same fun here in England and providing plenty of cheer for the Indian team.</p>