Chennai: The Duleep Trophy final got a boost of stardom with paceman Mohammed Siraj and left-hander Devdutt Padikkal joining the South Zone squad. For Siraj, the domestic assignment comes at a time when questions over his form, wicket-taking impact and workload have begun to gather momentum.TOI understands that Siraj’s place came under scrutiny after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, with the team management considering Gurnoor Brar for the second Test in Colombo. Siraj eventually retained his place, but in the 26 overs that he bowled in the drawn game, he could manage only two wickets.Former national selector and India opener Devang Gandhi said this is where Siraj should bring his experience into play.“I have seen Mohammed Shami from close quarters. In the second session, his pace normally used to drop, but that was often deliberate. He used to soften up the batter and then suddenly bowl that killer delivery. So when you grow a little older, it’s not always about going flat out but being judicious about it,” Gandhi said, adding that Siraj has everything in his armoury that should help him roar back.“His biggest asset is his ability to bowl with wobble seam. When a bowler does that, the ball tends to seam depending on which side of the seam it lands. That’s something he should never lose,” Gandhi added.
