Did India Miss The Trick By Not Playing Mohammed Siraj In The WTC Final?
The weather forecasts for the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand arent encouraging at all, with rain predicted to play spoilsport throughout the match. Despite the overcast conditions, Team India went in with three pacers and two specialist spinners, whereas the New Zealand line-up didnt have a single spinner, as they went in with four front-line fast bowlers and a seaming all-rounder. Virat Kohli and team management announced the playing XI on the eve of the match but had the chance to alter the line-up after no action was possible on the opening day, including the toss. It is hard on Siraj but Ishant's incredible numbers over the last few years and, I suspect, confidence in his current fitness level, have tilted it in his favour. This is as complete a bowling attack as you can get  Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 17, 2021  A complete washout on the opening day provided India with an opportunity to possibly alter their playing XI and include an extra seamer, but the management decided against it and went in with the same combination. Having seen the Indian bowlers struggle for wickets on the third day, one couldnt help but wonder if India really missed the trick by not including Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI as his ability to swing the ball both ways would have definitely made him a lethal choice. Here are the problems that emerged in Mohammed Sirajs absence:  1. Lack Of Quality Swing Bowlers   Instagram Mohammed Siraj  The three fast bowlers Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami that India played in the game are primarily the hit-the-deck-hard types and they rely on their bounce, more than anything, to trouble the batsman, whereas Sirajs strength lies in his swing and the conditions in Southampton would have completely suited his style to bowling. Despite toiling hard, Bumrah, Ishant and Shami couldnt even generate half of the seam movement that New Zealand bowlers managed during their bowling. 2. Struggle For Ideal Length   Instagram Mohammed Siraj  One explanation as to why Indian fast bowlers werent as effective as their counterparts could be because they struggled to find their ideal length on the pitch. They bowled comparatively short-of-length which made it easy for the New Zealand batsmen to either defend or shoulder arms and let it pass into wicketkeepers gloves. Pitching the ball a little but higher up wouldve forced the batsmen into the drive, something all NZ bowlers especially Kyle Jamieson did extremely well and reaped the rewards. Siraj is also known for bowling in the same channel and his presence would have definitely made India a more potent bowling attack. 3. Excessive Burden On The Three Pacers   Reuters  Playing two spinners together meant longer spells for the three Indian fast bowlers, and it affected their recovery. The conditions were more suitable for the pacers but Kohli had only three of them at his disposal, which made it difficult for him to give them enough rest in between spells. Kane Williamson, on the other hand, was able to manage the workload of his quicks because he had plenty of options to pick from. Bumrah was nowhere near his best and conceded over three runs per over and that aggravated Indias problems even further. 4. India Bowled With Four Bowlers   Reuters  In order to rest his fast bowlers, Kohli was left with no choice but to bring in Ravichandran Ashwin, who bowled nicely and also gave India their first breakthrough. But if you would have asked any batsman to pick between a pacer and a spinner as to who he would like to face, his answer would have been a no-brainer. Kohli also realised this and thats why he didnt bring Jadeja into the attack for so long and made him bowl only three overs which meant India managed the day with only four bowlers.