Mohammed Siraj's brother Ismail reveals how Siraj has evolved over the last 2 years

When it comes to the longest format of the game, Mohammed Siraj is an absolute beast, especially on surfaces where the balls tend to drift and there is some bounce on the track. He is back to England where he wreaked absolute havoc last time with a haul of 14 wickets that had a significant impact on the Lord’s Test, especially in the second innings, putting an end to the resistance of the English batters.

Mohammed Ismail, Siraj’s brother recently spoke about Siraj’s unreserved aggression and at the same time, talked about how much he loves to enjoy, despite rubbing shoulders with cricketing greats. “Jo aggression uski aankon mei hota hai, kabhi kabhi hum log bhi ghar pe shock ho jate hain (Sometimes, we at home are shocked by the aggression in his eyes). Whenever he hears Arabi Marfa on the streets, he automatically starts dancing. Doesn't matter who's getting married," revealed Ismail.

Well, it isn’t just Ismail who has spoken about Siraj’s aggression in recent times. From greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting to Mike Hesson and Virat Kohli, they have all been appreciative of the kind of infectious energy that Siraj has brought to the table.

After India secured a win against England at Lord’s last year, the then-Indian captain Kohli had spoken at length about Siraj, saying, “This is exactly who he is. He's going to be the kind of bowler who is aggressive, who is in your face and who is looking to get guys out. He is not scared and he is not going to take a backward step."

Talking about the change of aggression at the drop of a hat (read it boundary), Ismail spoke about how Siraj would totally amp up his belligerence. “He always had that junoon(passion)... matlab pagalpan (meaning madness) but the Siraj of now is very different from the Siraj of before," added Ismail.

However, it's not just aggression and passion, but also the evolution of his mindset over the past couple of years that have carried Siraj to the top of the game. “Mentally. Ye pehle aisa nahi thha (He wasn't like this before). He's tough mentally and physically now. What he went through in Australia... losing his father when he was stuck in a room during quarantine and couldn't meet anyone else... to tackle such a tough situation on your own is a big deal. And the way he's been performing after that, he's certainly grown mentally stronger,” said Ismail. “He says that the only thing that's on his mind now is what our father always told him, to make his country proud and give his 100 percent every time."