Mohammed Siraj prepares to bowl during the tour cricket match between the Prime Minister’s XI and India at Manuka Oval in Canberra on December 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Mohammed Siraj claimed that he has rediscovered the joy of bowling. After a single spell of 7-1-18-1, split by a small rain-break, against the Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday (December 1, 2024), the speedster was in a chirpy mood while talking to the media out on the ground.

“I am Mohammed Siraj, right-arm medium pace, mike check,” he said while from the stands, a loud ‘Siraj bhai’ rang out. “I am happy with the way I bowled here and at Perth (first Test, two for 20, three for 51). Over the last few months I felt I wasn’t getting enough wickets and in that desperation a bit of my line and length was affected. I thought deeply about this and I understood that when I enjoy my bowling, then the wickets usually follow. I am in that stage again now,” he said.

Focussing on the process instead of worrying about the result seems to have aided Siraj’s progress. “Jassybhai (Bumrah) told me to focus on being consistent instead of worrying about wickets. I also had a chat with B. Arun (India’s former bowling coach) and he too said the same thing, to focus on my skills instead of worrying about wickets,” Siraj said.

In Australia, the temptation to bounce it short can derail fast bowlers and Siraj admitted: “Because the bounce is so good, at times you may feel like striking the helmet of a batter. The point is not to be excited and just bowl to your plans. As for the pink ball, you feel a bit synthetic while holding it but other than that there is not much of a difference. They say it moves around under lights but we bowled first here, maybe we will get that feel at Adelaide during the second Test.”

TOPSHOT – India’s Virat Kohli celebrates reaching his century (100 runs) during day three of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in Perth on November 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Currently, if cricketing reputations have to be made and legacies burnished, then it mandates fine performances in Australia. Earlier in the 1970s, 1980s and the early part of the 1990s, players earned their stars through their runs and wickets in the West Indies. Virat Kohli surely is aware of the filters that distinguish the great player from the good one.

His first Test century was a 116 against Australia at Adelaide in 2012. It also signalled a passing of the baton in a series that India lost 0-4 to the host. In those contests the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman struggled to impose their will. A generational change was evident and Kohli led that shift.

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Cut to the present, as a 36-year-old senior, having gone through the ups and downs of sport, the waves of adulation and criticism, marriage and fatherhood, captaincy and the present final stretch, Kohli is again reiterating his validity Down Under. His unbeaten 100 against Pat Cummins and his men during the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, was posted after openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K.L. Rahul laid a firm base. Yet, these were runs that had to be earned against mighty Australian bowlers.

His seventh Test century on Australian shores is another testimony to his skill-set and longevity. Except for one quest to strike the red cherry wide outside the off-stump in the early part of his knock, Kohli was the monk who preferred serenity and later he became the pirate who broke the rules.

This is a batter delving into muscle-memory, adrenaline and the drive to prove that he is second to none. Not exactly an ageing Tendulkar against Dale Steyn, but Kohli still finds ways to stay relevant even if his numbers over the last few years may not entirely do justice to his talent.

This 30th Test hundred is a significant milestone in terms of numbers and for having gone past Don Bradman’s 29 tons. More importantly for India, the optics were the key. To wrest a three-figure yield in the first Test against the doughty Aussies, is a message that the old lion still has the hunger and the roar.

Somehow being in Australia draws the best out of Kohli, it is a land where he could chew nails for fun, say the odd expletive, play tough, blow kisses to his spouse and have a laugh. His unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup game at Melbourne in 2022 is the stuff of legend.

If in his early days, extreme aggression caused his downfall, in these mellow years, his exits are often linked to a tentative approach. Australian newspapers have played him up as the top box-office draw in this Southern summer even as Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah have marked their territory. Perhaps a baton is being passed, but in the here and now, Kohli is critical to India’s fortunes.

Perth has witnessed rain over the past few days, and the pitch was covered for the whole day on Tuesday (November 19, 2024), cutting down preparation time for the curator. File
| Photo Credit: V.V. Krishnan

WACA head curator Isaac McDonald said on Wednesday (November 20, 2024) that the unusual rain in Perth has impacted the pitch preparation for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and though he doesn’t expect the surface to develop “snake cracks”, there will still be plenty of bounce and carry.

The surface at the Optus Stadium or at the nearby WACA ground is known for its pace and bounce, and when the cracks open up in dry conditions, it provides more assistance to the seamers besides bringing the spinners into play.

Some of those cracks often take the shape of a snake and are therefore termed “snake cracks”.

The city has witnessed rain over the past few days, and the pitch was covered for the whole day on Tuesday (November 19, 2024), cutting down preparation time for the curator.

“Yeah, it’s definitely not traditional Perth Test prep. Yesterday we pretty much lost the whole day of prep with it being under cover. So we kind of saw the forecast early on, and we started preparing a little bit earlier than we normally would. So we’re sitting quite comfortably still. It’d be nice if the sun would pop out and do its job, but as of this morning we’re in a good spot; we’re really comfortable as a curating team,” McDonald told media ahead of the series opener beginning on Friday (November 22, 2024),” he said.

The pitch is likely to retain moisture come match day, effectively ruling out the possibility of major deterioration over the course of five days.

“I don’t think the weather is going to make this pitch fall apart. There’ll be some deterioration; grass will stand up during the game and offer that variable bounce, but in terms of big snake WACA cracks, unfortunately, I don’t think the weather is going to get us there,” said the head curator.

The forecast is clear for Friday (November 22, 2024) as well as the remaining four days, but the temperatures are unlikely to increase drastically. Mr. McDonald wants the sun to emerge from the clouds at the earliest so that the surface can behave close to its traditional nature.

“I mean, everyone talks about the traditional baking of the top. We can kind of manufacture that with more rolling and less water on top if we have to. We’re testing the wicket hour by hour, so it’s quite condition-based at the moment. So at the moment we’re leaning towards rolling it a bit more on top to get that firmness and that happy medium between bat and ball. But yeah, fingers crossed, the sun pops out,” he said.

Pakistan recently bundled out Australia for 140 in an ODI at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The grass cover was expectedly less for a limited-overs game, 4 mm to be exact. It will be at least double for the India-Australia Test opener.

“How much grass will we get to see before toss? We’ve still got to try and get to a point where we think we’re going to be fine by Friday (November 22, 2024). We’re still in around the ballpark; 8 to 10 mm was where we were last year as well,” he added.

“So we’re sitting quite comfortably and having quite open conversations within the curating team about what we feel is appropriate and where to go from there. There’s still really good pace and bounce in the pitch. It’ll just come in how well they look after the ball and how true the surface stays. We’re meant to get to 30-32 degrees over the weekend, so we’ll see what the grass on top does there, but in terms of coming off cracks, I just don’t think we’re going to get there,” felt Mr. McDonald.

Perth is hosting the opening game of a marquee series, and that is bound to put some pressure on the groundstaff. However, Mr. McDonald is not feeling the heat.

“I don’t think it’s pressure; it doesn’t change what I do. I’ve still got to deliver the best playing surface I can. So in terms of pressure, I don’t know if we’re, another word for pressure, I suppose, you know. It’s nice to be the first test. The excitement around it is nice. The buzz is nice. The energy in our team is great. And it’s something that we all look forward to every year,” he said. He chose to stay on the fence when asked what he would do if he won the toss on Friday (November 22, 2024).

“It’s way above my pay grade, mate. I think we’re setting ourselves up really nicely for it. All things are leading to getting that pitch rock hard come Friday (November 22, 2024) morning, and as I said, people above my pay grade will get to choose and see what they do,” Mr. McDonald added.