Shubman Gill reveals why Mohammed Siraj struggled for pace against Sri Lanka

India captain Shubman Gill has allayed concerns over Mohammed Siraj’s fitness after the pacer looked short of his usual pace during the drawn second Test against Sri Lanka, insisting the seamer is not injured and is simply regaining rhythm after a lengthy break from international cricket.Siraj was noticeably below peak pace at the SSC, often shortening his run-up and even bowling with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps. The fast bowler also suffered a heavy landing while attempting a catch in Sri Lanka’s first innings, fuelling speculation about a possible injury.“Siraj is not injured. He didn’t feel well even in the first match. He last played against Afghanistan in June, so he was coming back after almost a couple of months. It takes time for someone to come back into rhythm,” Gill said.The skipper acknowledged that Siraj’s pace had dipped through the series but backed the senior pacer to find his best form with more cricket under his belt.“Even in the first Test we felt that his pace was slow. But sometimes when you play more, you come back into rhythm. As far as injury is concerned, there is nothing,” Gill said.“It gets very frustrating,” Gill admitted about the draw and India’s failure to prise out the last few Lankan wickets. “We attacked a lot in the beginning, but as the match went on the wicket got slower. It wasn’t as if the ball wasn’t moving or spinning. It wasn’t a very flat wicket.”Although the draw dented India’s WTC final campaign, Gill remained optimistic.“I still think we’ve got a pretty good chance to qualify for the WTC final. If we play well in New Zealand and then win the Australia series at home, we’ll be in a good position to qualify,” he said.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.