Siraj used the scrambled seam nicely throughout, says Boult

Mumbai: There is a much watched video of Trent Boult being tutored by Zaheer Khan on bowling with a scrambled seam in a Mumbai Indians net session from IPL 2021. Boult had begun his career in 2011 as an out and out swing bowler for New Zealand. Not to remain predictable, he learnt the nuances of bringing in the element of natural variation off the surface that comes from holding the seam of the ball with a slight tilt. India bowler Mohammed Siraj. (Reuters)

It’s a ball that has become increasingly common in the modern game. More so in Test cricket as bowlers look to weaponise the seam for a slightly different effect. “The batter is looking for in-swing, in-swing and there goes the scrambled seam,” Zaheer told Boult in the video.

It was a ball used liberally by Mohammed Siraj in the recent India-England series. While Siraj running in to bowl lengthy spells was a testament to his stamina, he couldn’t have done it without his bouquet of skills. In the Oval Test, the hero of the five-Test rubber swung it one way, wobbled it the other. So much so that Ollie Pope could never decipher the questions Siraj posed constantly. Even England’s highest run getter Joe Root was troubled.

“It’s a big ball that players are trying to learn,” Boult told HT in a virtual interaction. “For a lot of bowlers, scrambled seam has become an effective tool. I thought Siraj used it very nicely throughout that series.”

Boult couldn’t catch much of the thrill from the final day’s play at the Oval. He was “in the air” for most of it, travelling to England to play in “The Hundred” to be aired on Sony network. Now, plying his trade in short-format leagues around the world, Boult’s heart still beats for Test cricket.

“The series was fantastic. A lot of people got behind it,” he said. “New Zealand is not a great place to watch Test cricket in England. It’s on through the night. The only Test I could really watch was the Lord’s Test and it was brilliant. Test cricket is a great product followed around the world and when it is an even battle between bat and ball, it’s brilliant.”

Having had a 12-year long fulfilling international career — he picked up 317 wickets in 78 Tests — Boult is at peace, getting to spend more time with his three sons. “You still possess that mindset of trying to develop new skills,” he said, ahead of another debut to a new format for the Birmingham Phoenix at the age of 36. “To stay up to date with the skills is a good aspiration to have. T20 is a format that is quickly evolving. The Hundred is slightly different and a new challenge. It’s about not getting too complacent.”

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