Mohammed Siraj's emotional journey Down Under, From tragic loss of father to leader of attack in Brisbane

Just imagine yourself once being in Mohammed Siraj's shoes. You make your debut for your home side in 2015 in domestic competition, you are noticed but not enough. You have a breakout season in 2016-17 where you take 41 wickets, become the highest wicket-taker for your side. You get picked in the IPL for the Hyderabad side. 

IPL is a big platform for players from humble beginnings, players who struggle to accumulate Rs. 70 for pocket money and a salary in crores is a big amount. You play 6 matches, take 10 wickets but your economy becomes a problem, you are left out of the side and released by the franchise.

The beginning

Since, IPL performances have become bigger in terms of India selection, it wasn't a great start to the IPL career of the Hyderabad-born pacer. But you keep working hard on your skills, you keep pushing the limits and not let diligence leave your sight.

You get picked by a side captained by Team India skipper Virat Kohli, a performance for his team might work wonders for you. You get 11 games, a longer run than the previous IPL stint, you take 11 wickets but the economy still remains in the high 8s. 8.95 is not bad if you are taking wickets.

The rise, the fall

Thus, a decent-ish performance led you to make your India debut in the T20I format. You get opposition skipper Kane Williamson but also go for 53 runs in your quota of overs.

Economy has always remained a friendly foe of Siraj as according to him, he is an aggressive bowler, who goes for wickets in the T20 format. This is what every bowler does, that's the right mindset, but how to be both? Stem the flow of runs and also take wickets.

Siraj's T20I career blew hot and cold like his home state's weather and he was out of the squad before the next season of the IPL. His IPL performances became worse, he didn't get picked in the Test side after being named in the squad. How to come back, how to stay determined and not lose focus?

The hope, the surety

Then comes another domestic season, Siraj takes wickets -- 19 to be exact -- in five matches and impresses again with the red ball. But how to replicate that form with the white ball, especially in IPL to break that door down of an India selection.

His first-class performances had made sure the inevitable, but the 2020 IPL season hit the nail on the head. On UAE's helpful tracks, Siraj found movement, he found the ball to talk,to bounce, to seam, to dance.

'Miyan naya ball daaloge', those four words from skipper Virat changed Siraj's IPL career as he got his seam position correct and the ball to do its own little tricks. He became the first ever bowler in the history of IPL to bowl two consecutive maiden overs. He destroyed KKR's strong batting line-up that they couldn't recover from and could score only 84 runs in their 20 overs.

His economy rate came down, average got better, strike rate improved and the talks of him earning a call-up, took the shape of primetime talks from chinese whispers.

The moment Mohammed Siraj broke through for his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket! @VodafoneAU | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/xZgHvrVgZE

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 18, 2021

The call-up, the heartbreak

October 26 was the day, when it happened again and Siraj got a call-up to be on the flight to Australia in whites for India. 

But no one knew how bumpy the ride for him was going to be. He lands in Australia, is subjected to mandatory 14-day quarantine. With nowhere to go, no one to spend time with, you get the most gut-wrenching news of your life. The passing of your father. 

You are a 26-year old young man, on the cusp of playing for your country at the highest level, thousands of miles away from your home and you get the most dreaded news one can get in their lifetime.

An incident like this can break many, naturally, but it can also make some. Siraj was part of the latter clan. He found solace in an opportunity to represent his nation, to fulfill his old man's dream of seeing him play for his country.

Before the Border-Gavaskar Test series, Siraj lost his father. He then made a promise to himself. Today, he fulfilled it.

Siraj, we are all very proud of you. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/VUMhgJsJO4

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2021

It can break many, it also makes some

Siraj did what his father wanted. So, he missed his funeral and stayed back in Australia instead. Unfortunately, his debut came at the expense of an injury, which obviously wasn’t the first and definitely wasn’t the last for the tourists.

Siraj made his debut in front of the MCG crowd in the Boxing Day Test. He was nervous, but didn’t look out of place, he was overawed but he belonged. His first scalp came in the form of Marnus Labuschagne, who was set, batting on 48 and he sent him packing. Then, it was newcomer Cameron Green.

His first-class experience working with current Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun over the years, had readied him for the big occasion, that was round the corner. But little did he know that it would come against a rampaging Australian side on their home soil. But he had a start, 2/40 in 15 overs in your first innings of your Test career is not bad by any means.

But, Siraj came into his own in the second innings. After Umesh, Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja had removed the top order, the lanky speedster with a man bun destroyed the middle order as he sent Travis Head packing not just from the innings but from the series, as he didn’t feature in the Aussie line-up again and also removed Green, again, to round-up what was a fantastic debut.

The abuse, the rise

But there was a lot more in the store for Siraj in the series. Another injury to another pacer, meant another debut and Siraj’s role and responsibility in the line-up increased multifold. 

SCG Test, however, threw more things at Siraj than just resurgence of Labuschagne-Smith love saga. Crowd abuse, although infrequent, has been part of the sport for many years now. Now, that crowds are allowed in Australia, the abuse was the least expected thing to take place, let alone racial abuse.

But, Siraj wasn’t a cute little kid, who would whine and would get affected by it. Calling spade a spade has become necessary and he knew what is acceptable and what’s not.

Siraj, immediately complained to the authorities, NSW Police got involved, threw those six people out of the stadium and Cricket Australia apologised. These were the signs, what Siraj is made of, standing up for himself without thinking anything and the pride with which he plays. Talking of pride, we all saw that National anthem at SCG.

The players who wear hearts on their sleeves, don’t get bogged down that easily and the crowd incident summed the fearlessness of Siraj. Even though he took only two wickets in the game, the match was about much more than wickets and runs. It was also about the spirit as a team that India showed, after getting three players injured during the game, saved the Test match on the final day with just 7 wickets remaining against an Australian bowling line-up. Siraj’s strength rubbed off on the whole team.

The leader of the pack

The injury count kept increasing. Jadeja was ruled out, Vihari had tore his hamstring, Ashwin had tweaked his back and the final nail in the coffin, Bumrah had an abdominal strain, and he too was ruled out.

Now, India’s bowling attack was without Ishant, Bumrah, Shami, Umesh, Ashwin and Jadeja, these are the players India have been playing with since 2013.

Now, the five bowlers who were picked for the Gabba game had collective experience of 3 Tests and 10 balls. 

The tall, lanky 26-year old debutant of MCG, was the senior bowler at Gabba and he bowled like one in the second innings after the debutants shined in the first innings, both with the bat and the ball.

The cracks were helping the pitch to misbehave a little and that brought Siraj into play. Siraj got bounce at the bouncy Gabba and he started removing one Australian batter after the other. First casualty was Labuschagne, whom he had got once before in the series and it didn’t take long for him to get second in the same over.

However, it was Smith’s wicket that showed the character of both Siraj and the pitch. Siraj, kept pitching in that uncertain area consistently and he got one to hit the crack and it zipped off the track and hit Smith’s gloves, which ballooned up in the air straight into the hands of skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

Siraj and Shardul Thakur both got four wickets each as Australia were nine down. The bowling attack with two debutants, one 10 balls old, another a Test match and the leader two Test matches, but it was more mental strength than the skills that helped them get over the Australians.

A lifetime in 8 weeks

Siraj got the final wicket as he looked towards the sky. It was his maiden five-wicket haul, first for any Indian bowler in this series. He said after the day’s play that his father would have been happy had he been here on the day, but he didn’t know that Mr Mohammed Ghaus would have been jumping in whichever place he is seeing what his son has been able to pull off in these last two months.

The boy has become a man on this tour. Siraj, Leader of the attack in his first Test series and he has led from.the front. The way newcomers have performed for India on this tour will be etched in memories for a long long time. Will be fitting if they retain the trophy. pic.twitter.com/8bRvMI1iwR

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 18, 2021

Exequies are hard to handle, Siraj didn’t attend it but he did what his father wanted him to. 

The glint in the eyes, that passion in his celebrations and the emotions with which he plays would have more than made up for his absence at the funeral for his father as his blessings will always be there for his son, who lived a lifetime in these 60 days.