Have you ever seen a Test match before and thought, How do bowlers stay in the zone when the sun is shining, the ball is dead, and the batters are just blocking everything? Apparently, professionals sometimes experience the same thoughts. Just recently, India’s left-arm pace bowler and young star, Arshdeep Singh, shared some information that he learned from Mohammed Siraj—an important mental detail that might separate an average fast bowler from the best in red-ball cricket.
Learning to Love the Lull
Arshdeep may have lost a Test cap in England, but he came back with something much more valuable—hard-earned knowledge. Siraj told him that in Test cricket, there will be times, usually after lunch, when you will bowl and nothing will happen at all. The ball behaved like a well-trained pet—obedient, predictable, and utterly harmless. Just flat-out hard work. That is when a bowler’s real character comes out, Siraj told him.
It sounds simple, right? But think about it: we glorify the wickets, the yorkers, the unplayable deliveries. What we don’t talk about enough is the grind—the overs where bowlers keep running in, knowing a breakthrough might not come for hours. Siraj’s point was clear: if you can enjoy that dull phase, stay disciplined, and not lose your head, you’re halfway to mastering Test cricket. It’s not just skill; it’s mental endurance.
Arshdeep’s Training Diaries: Sweat, Overs, and More Overs
While the world’s eyes were on England, Arshdeep was turning the nets into his personal marathon of overs. By the end of it, I’d lost count of the overs—felt like I’d bowled enough to wear out a brand-new cricket ball factory. That’s the life of a cricketer on the fringes—no spotlight, no matchday glory, but relentless preparation for the moment your name finally makes it to the XI.
What is notable here is how he went about it. Rather than sulking about not playing, he threw himself into training—more overs, more strength work, and skill work with both red and white ball. That is part of the mentality that has taken him to being a popular choice for limited-overs cricket, and now he is in the frame for Test cricket. With India’s busy schedule with a rotating playing eight, it is essential to be ready, and Arshdeep seems to understand that.
From Boring Sessions to Asia Cup Fireworks
Here’s the twist in the tale: while all this talk has been about Test cricket and the mental battles it brings, Arshdeep’s immediate assignment lies in the high-octane world of T20s. Come September 10 in Dubai, Arshdeep steps into the Asia Cup with a big ask: spearhead India’s pace unit, with the seasoned Bumrah as his partner-in-crime. The stakes couldn’t be higher, with the T20 World Cup just around the corner next year in India and Sri Lanka.
Switching from Test cricket to short-form T20 cricket is still cricket, or at least that is Arshdeep’s approach. If that is to become his greatest asset, the Cathedral of learning! – The ability to switch whether it’s a slow afternoon session in a Test or it is the death overs in a T20, he is beginning to find a way to take the same joy and relaxed mindset that Siraj discussed in this challenge.
FAQs
- Was Arshdeep part of the playing XI during India’s England Tests?
No, he didn’t make his Test debut, but trained extensively with the squad.
- How did Arshdeep prepare during his non-playing time?
He bowled thousands of practice deliveries and focused on fitness and skills.
- How is Arshdeep balancing Test and T20 preparations?
He trains with both red and white balls to stay adaptable for all formats.
