From The Oval to Ahmedabad: Rhythm uninterrupted for Siraj

 If fast bowling is about rhythm, momentum, and the harmony between run-up, technique, skill and impact, Mohammed Siraj has shown he has never lost it since the England series. Thursday, the first day of the Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad, felt like the sixth day of the Oval Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Even two months on, he showed no sign of losing his bite, pace, or - most importantly - his rhythm. He picked up in India right from where he had left off in England.

The only difference between then and now - rather England and India - was that Siraj had developed a notion of often summoning his full skills, abilities, and prowess, only in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the responsibility of being the spearhead bringing the best out of him. At the Narendra Modi Stadium, however, he showed that he could excel even when Bumrah is around. In fact, he overshadowed his more fancied new-ball partner, widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the world.

The blemish of the day was Siraj's failure to complete a five-for - a feat he had achieved with so much guts, gusto, and fierce gumption on that sunny morning at The Oval, bowling India to a mind-numbing six-run victory against England, leaving the impression that whenever he had the ball in hand, wickets were guaranteed. "There are no free wickets (in international cricket)," Siraj said, smiling. "I had to work hard for those four wickets. I got wickets working hard in England as well. If it were easy, I would have got the fifth here."

Wickets are never easy to come by in international cricket, but on Thursday, Siraj looked unstoppable. He struck in his second over, forcing an edge from Tagenarine Chanderpaul with a short delivery that was on his body. In tennis terms, such a serve on the body would be nearly impossible to return, and the young left-handed batter could do little but edge it to the keeper. His second wicket, Brandon King, fell to a rip-snorter. Siraj had set him up with previous deliveries, leaving King helplessly to watch the ball nip back and rattle the stumps.

After forcing Alick Athanaze to edge one to the slips - a routine catch - Siraj may have bowled the ball of the day for his fourth wicket. Roston Chase, who looked in good touch, was completely deceived by a wobble-seam delivery that caught the West Indies skipper off guard. The ball straightened after being delivered with an onside trajectory. "Yes, the wobble-seam delivery is such that it sometimes straightens, sometimes cuts. This one straightened with the shiny side," Siraj explained.

But connoisseurs often wonder how Siraj manages to generate such pace, movement, and penetration despite slightly bending his front foot at the point of landing - an Achilles' heel that could, in theory, limit a pacer's effectiveness. Although that is seen as a commonplace phenomenon among pacers - even Wasim Akram apparently had that tendency. One would be more effective without that slight bend.

"He lacks the strength to control his landing and therefore shows instability on impact, largely due to poor back-foot reactivity. The front leg doesn't brace because of two reasons: either he isn't strong enough to cope with the deceleration forces around the hamstrings and quads, or his poor pelvic alignment - caused by an ineffective back foot - forces the front leg to cross over the midline," says a famous biomechanic and fast bowling expert in UK's Pacelab academy.

But Siraj makes up for these biometrical issues with his forceful run-up, perfect follow through and of course large heart. He has also developed an outswinger and wobble seam delivery that combine well with his stock inswingers. Those armouries work deadly in pairs rather than as a solo skill. The batters are always guessing which way the ball will move, just like King and Chase were on Thursday.

Siraj said the confidence was running high after the England series. "You gain a lot of confidence after a series like the one in England. Performing against a strong side gives you a different kind of belief. You must have seen that confidence today. After the England series, I focused on my training and bowling.

"Last week, I played a match for India A. When you return after such a long gap, you rediscover your rhythm. In Lucknow, it was very hot, but that match gave me good preparation before this series. After many years, I had such a long break, and I really enjoyed it. I also used the time to work on my fitness."

With four wickets from Siraj, three from Bumrah, two from Kuldeep Yadav, and one from Washington Sundar, West Indies - having elected to bat - collapsed to 162 all out in the 45th over. India replied strongly, erasing 121 runs for the loss of just two wickets. At stumps on Day One, the big question was how long the Test would last. With Siraj in such splendid rhythm, backed ably by the rest of the attack, an early finish seemed firmly on the cards.