Mohammed Siraj nears milestone, may achieve it in NZ Test series

Slowly but steadily, Mohammed Siraj is inching towards a landmark that no other bowler from Hyderabad has reached. He has so far taken 144 wickets in Test matches and may reach the mark of 150 wickets in the coming Test series in New Zealand. This will be his first tour of New Zealand, and it is likely that he will relish bowling on the pitches at the two Test venues, namely the Basin Reserve ground in Wellington and the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Wickets in New Zealand generally favour fast bowlers due to the way the pitches are prepared and the environment, which favours seam movement. Pitch curators in New Zealand typically leave a substantial grass cover on the pitches rather than shaving them bare. Most venues are made with Patumahoe brown clay or Kakanui black clay, which holds together for all five days of a Test match. Unlike most countries where pitches dry out and favour spinners as the match progresses, New Zealand pitches tend to stay firm and good for fast bowlers.

So the conditions should favour Siraj. He is expected to be a potent threat during India’s upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand. Siraj has performed very well against the SENA countries. In seven ODI matches against the Kiwis, he has claimed 10 wickets with an economy rate of roughly 4.89, while in Tests, he has played 3 matches and taken 5 wickets. So this will be a golden opportunity for him to show his skill and stamina against the Kiwi batters.

Before playing in the Test series, Siraj will be seen in action in the ODI contests. He has been selected for the entire ODI series. As noted by former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, continuous bowling helps him lock into his best bowling rhythm. Added to that is the pertinent point made by former New Zealand captain Tim Southee, who recently said that New Zealand batters have studied Jasprit Bumrah extensively, but Siraj’s unpredictable aggression will be a fresh, new challenge for the home team.

Siraj explained to ESPN recently, “I’m purely a rhythm bowler. If I’m not in sync, I can’t explode through the crease. That was the struggle when I played 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, 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 the intensity of playing in a match. I need to play constantly. The more workload I have, the better I perform.”

Siraj’s greatest strengths are his ability to generate movement off the pitch, his accuracy, stamina and fighting spirit. He can swing the new ball both ways. He can move it back into the right-hander with his scrambled-seam delivery, and trouble batters with well-directed short-pitched bowling.

He is also capable of maintaining pressure through long spells which is a particularly valuable quality in Test cricket. His performances in England in 2025 were especially impressive: he took 23 wickets in the five-Test series and was instrumental in India’s 2–2 draw. He was subsequently named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 2025.

He is a competitor who bowls with tremendous emotion and commitment. His determination to keep attacking makes him a valuable member of India’s pace attack. Cricket fans can expect fireworks from the Hyderabad pacer when he gets into action after the ongoing T20I sefos is over.

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