'The More Aggression I Put..': Says Mohammed Siraj Day After Throwing Ball Back at Steve Smith

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj talked about the importance of ‘aggression’ in his bowling, a day after he threw the ball at Steve Smith during the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia.

The incident between Siraj and Smith took place on Thursday with Smith backing out at the last moment, citing the distraction from the spider-cam. Smith had complained about the same issue multiple times during the ongoing WTC final 2023 at the Oval in London.

Facing Siraj, Smith backed out at the last moment as Siraj was already in the midst of his run-up and as Smith moved away in front of the stumps, Siraj was seen throwing the ball towards wicketkeeper KS Bharat visibly ‘frustrated’ at the Australian batter’s antics.

Days after showing aggression to Smith, Siraj revealed that he loves bowling with aggression as he feels it helps him attain more success.

“Aggression is very important in my bowling. Test cricket is based on aggression. It’s not just about delivering simple ball and walking away without saying anything,” Siraj said in a video posted by the ICC.

The Hyderabad pacer picked up four wickets in the first innings as Australia smashed 469 runs.

“When I bowl with aggression, I keep my body engaged. Unlike some other bowlers who bowl here and there with aggression, my bowling is precise,” Siraj added.

He further continued, “The more aggression I put into my game, the more success I achieve. I thoroughly enjoy playing with aggression.”

When Siraj made his Test debut against Australia, he had lost his father a couple of days ago, and the pacer still rues the fact that his father couldn’t see him represent India in red-ball cricket which remains a big honour.

“That year was difficult for me personally because I lost my dad during that time. Afterward, I wasn’t sure if I would make my debut or not. However, I played my first match because (Mohammed) Shami bhai was injured. Then I got the opportunity to play in Melbourne,” the 29-year-old stated.

“At that time I used to think how proud my dad would have been if he was alive because he wanted me to make Test debut for India and play Test cricket. Playing Test cricket is a matter of immense respect and honour,” Siraj added further.