Mohammed Siraj has said that a rare two-month break ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka disrupted his run-up, causing a marked dip in pace in Galle and in Colombo.
Siraj's speeds were also down in the 125-130kph range in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy final before he rediscovered his rhythm in the second, hitting speeds close to 135kph and getting movement off a benign Chepauk pitch and in the air.
"I'm purely a rhythm bowler," Siraj said after the Duleep Trophy final at Chepauk on Thursday. "If I'm not in sync, I can't explode through the crease. That was the struggle in Sri Lanka - my run-up felt disjointed. Some strides were too short, others were too long, and that broke my flow and cost me pace.
"Every bowler's body is different, but mine doesn't handle long breaks well. A short break is fine, but in my ten-year career, I had never taken two full months off. I was working out in the gym and bowling occasionally, but no amount of practice can replicate match intensity. It was a new experience, but a valuable learning curve for me going forward."
After East Zone opted to bat in the Duleep Trophy final, Siraj got his first ball to zip away past the shoulder of Abhimanyu Easwaran's bat, but once the pitch flattened out he struggled, conceding 140 runs in 25 overs at an economy rate of over 5.5. Siraj said that dealing with the physical toll of playing in hot conditions in Sri Lanka and Chennai had been difficult.
"We came straight from Sri Lanka, where we spent three-and-a-half days fielding in the second Test, and within a week, we were out here playing in Chennai's sweltering heat," Siraj said. "But for me, it comes down to passion. When you're representing your country, you can't make excuses. You have to give every bit of your effort for your team and nation. Even if I didn't get the wickets to show for it today, that hard work will pay off at the international level."
Siraj fared much better in the second innings, bowling with greater control and pace even though the Chepauk conditions offered little help to any sort of bowling. After threatening Abhimanyu's inside edge, Siraj got a perfectly pitched delivery to veer away from the Bengal opener and brush his outside edge.
Siraj also challenged Ishan Kishan's outside edge from around the wicket in an incisive opening spell of 6-2-9-1.
"In the first innings, the pitch looked fresh, so I tried to bowl too fast. Because I was forcing it, my rhythm was off," Siraj said. "In the second innings, I told myself to forget the outcome and just run in with good, natural rhythm. The moment I did that, the old Siraj was back, and the ball started coming out beautifully."
Mohammed Shami, who was the standout bowler from either side in the Duleep Trophy final, was also impressed with Siraj's new-ball spell in the second innings.
"Whenever I interact with guys I've played with or share a good bond with, I focus on their skill," Shami said. "In the first innings, Siraj wasn't finding his natural rhythm compared to how he bowled later. I just reminded him that to get back on top, he needed to return to his core strengths. When your run-up and rhythm are in sync, your line and length fall into place automatically. That's all we were talking about."
Siraj finished with figures of 16-2-47-1 in the second innings before the captains shook hands and East Zone beat South Zone to win the Duleep Trophy title on the basis of first-innings lead.
"After two months off, your body doesn't react the same way - everything feels a bit slower," Siraj said. "Getting through this game got my body moving again and brought my rhythm right back."