When the hosts reached 83/2 at lunch in the third Test between England and India, Ravi Shastri said: "Well, let's have some fun." Play continued in the second session. Test matches typically need a great deal of patience and finesse. Therefore, it's not always necessary for analysts to talk on what's happening on the ground. They frequently, and understandably, stray a bit in order to maintain their own and the public's interest levels. Shastri did just that when he jokingly referred to one of India's pacers as a "joker".
When Ollie Pope played a ball against his pads, Mohammed Siraj rushed towards the batter, which led to the remark from Shastri. Siraj, who anticipated an opportunity for a wicket, sprinted towards the batter as the ball got trapped between his right pad and leg, but Pope, aware of the situation, plucked it up and kept it on the ground. "He is quite the character, Mohammed Siraj. Ran straight at the batter."
At that point, Shastri's fellow analyst Michael Atherton inquired about Siraj's demeanor in the dressing room. Is he a chatterbox? A practical joker? Or someone who sits quietly? Pat came the reply, “Oh, he’s a joker.” Shastri carried on. “And he is not poking fun. Someone else keeps poking fun at him. Or riling him up. And he falls for it.”
To brighten the mood, every team needs a character in the dressing room. Days of Test matches can be very demanding. Players frequently sit quietly and peacefully in their own thoughts, yet they still require someone to make them feel better. England had Darren Gough playing that part, as Atherton said, and he feels that Siraj is also one of those people.
Shastri added: “He and [Rishabh] Pant are like that. Especially when he was elevated to the Deputy Superintendent of Police. There was a chuckle around that dressing room. Siraj had to say 'Ok, wait till you come to Hyderabad, I will sort you out.'"
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However, Shastri praised Siraj for his outstanding bowling performance in the current Test series. Siraj improved his performance in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah at Edgbaston, taking six wickets after registering just two scalps in the opening match at Leeds. India had a significant lead thanks in large part to Siraj's 6/70, a performance that Shastri rightfully mentioned.
“Bowled beautifully in Edgbaston. Six wicket haul there, and even today, he is striving hard,” remarked the former India coach.
