"He keeps smiling at me" - Mohammed Siraj admits Joe Root drains his aggression

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has revealed a clever mental tactic he used to stay fierce during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. Mohammed Siraj admitted that he purposely avoided looking at or speaking to England’s batting maestro Joe Root throughout the Test series.

Siraj, who finished as the leading wicket taker in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with 23 scalps, explained that Joe Root’s calm and friendly demeanor naturally makes him calm and relaxed, which could reduce his edge and aggression while bowling.

Mohammed Siraj reveals mental trick against Joe Root

To stay focused and fiery, the Indian fast bowler decided to ignore talking and even making eye contact with Root. Siraj also revealed that he ignored Root even when he tried to chat during matches in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

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Actually, the former England captain had commented that Siraj sometimes fakes his anger on the field during the five-match Test series, but Siraj insisted that his anger is genuine and only eases after taking a wicket. Notably, Root had said during the Test series, “He (Siraj) has got this fake angriness about him sometimes, which I can see right through.”

Whenever I see Joe Root, automatically a smile comes to my face: Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “No, no, I do get angry, and it does not fade off quickly. Only after I get a wicket does my anger vanish. As for Joe Root, he is a world-class batsman. When he is facing me, he never looks at me with any kind of anger. He keeps smiling at me. So, whenever I see him, automatically a smile comes to my face.

He is the first person who makes me calm and smile when I look at him. So, during the England tour, I decided I am not going to look at him or talk to him. Even if he was at the non-striker’s end and I was fielding at mid-off, he would come to talk to me, but I would not talk to him. I would just walk away somewhere else.”

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Mohammed Siraj reveals the secret behind his on-field fire

Meanwhile, Siraj has opened up about the secret behind his fiery on-field persona. The fiery Indian fast bowler revealed how he balances intense aggression while staying calm off the field. Siraj, who is known for his relentless energy during matches, admitted that he learned that art from South African fast-bowling legend Dale Steyn.

Siraj explained that he is calm, relaxed, and easy-going off the field, but the moment he steps onto the pitch for India, his competitive spirit takes over. Even a single boundary against him can trigger a surge of anger, pushing him to fight harder.

He signed off by saying, “Aggression as a fast bowler, I learned from Dale Steyn, who I used to follow. Aggression is very important. If a batsman hits you and you are relaxed and smile… What kind of cricket is that? Kuch toh chahiye (You need some aggression). But off the field, I am ek dum chill.”

Notably, Siraj made a comeback to India’s ODI squad after more than one year for the upcoming Australia tour following his heroics in England. He is a crucial member of India’s Test side, but lost his place to youngsters in the T20Is, but he now has great chances to cement his place in the ODIs once again.