NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri offered an amusing insight into Mohammed Siraj’s personality on live television during Day 1 of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s. In conversation with co-commentator Michael Atherton, Shastri described Siraj as a “joker” in the dressing room, while discussing the pacer’s energetic antics on the field. The topic came up after a moment when Siraj charged toward Ollie Pope after the ball got wedged between the batter’s pad and leg. Pope calmly retrieved the ball and set it down.“He’s quite the character, Mohammed Siraj. Ran straight at the batter,” one commentator noted.Atherton followed up by asking whether Siraj was the quiet type or a prankster. Shastri replied, “Oh, he’s a joker. And he’s not the one poking fun — someone else keeps poking fun at him. Or riling him up. And he falls for it.”The exchange highlighted how even high-stakes Test matches allow room for light-hearted commentary, adding personality and humour to the broadcast.
Atherton even compared Siraj to former England quick Darren Gough, noting that every team needs characters to lighten the dressing room mood — especially during the mentally taxing days of Test cricket.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”.“He (Siraj) bowled beautifully in Edgbaston. Six wicket haul there, and even today, he is striving hard,” the former India coach said.
