When you crack the code of being called up for the Indian cricket team, not always do you get to showcase those glistening performances. There are times when you get off to a slow start and even at times get dropped before you can bring out the big guns. Mohammed Siraj is one such player who had to walk miles through the fire before he could finally cement his place in the national side.

Unlike players like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj had early troubles with his line and length that saw the batsmen often having the wood over the pacer. Back in 2017, there have been a number of occasions when the Indian pacer would often lose his radar and by the time he found his rhythm, the batsman was well set to take him on.

Narrating an unheard tale about Siraj’s maiden outing against New Zealand, Dinesh Karthik, his teammate at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, opened up on what exactly unfurled and how the RCB wicket-keeper batsman had predicted a bad day for the pacer.

Talking on Cricbuzz’s ‘Rise of New India’, Karthik said, “When he was picked for T20s at the time, I think he wasn't ready for the format. He was sharp but he was known to be a bit erratic and he got picked in the T20 team. He played a game in Rajkot against New Zealand and prior to that day, I was saying, ‘There is a batter called Colin Munro, he is going to smack you. Just wait and watch, I have a feeling he is going to belt you.”

DK further added, “He said, 'No, no, I'll get him out.' Interestingly, Colin Munro went on to get a hundred in that game and he really pasted this guy. Even today he says you have such a bad tongue, you said something and it came through and my career almost got finished there. We have a lot of fun moments, he is one of the few fast bowlers I connected with a lot. He lives in Hyderabad but can't speak a word of Telugu, I make fun of him for that as well.”

Siraj indeed had a terrible outing in that game, taken for 53 runs from four overs with just one wicket to show for his efforts. It took a while before Siraj could establish himself as a top star but he has now proven himself to be one of India’s mainstays in the international circuit with his ability to swing the ball and challenge the best of batsmen in the world.