Test cricket success now demands the rare ability to remain emotionally invested while the ball behaves like a household object, according to advice Mohammed Siraj gave Arshdeep Singh during his long wait for a debut.
Arshdeep travelled with India’s squad during the England tour but did not play in the Test series. A thumb injury ruled him out of contention for the final matches, leaving him with the traditional sporting task of preparing intensely while contributing mainly to the general atmosphere of readiness.
Siraj’s advice was practical. Red ball cricket contains stretches, especially after lunch, when the pitch declines to provide drama and the ball appears to have entered a period of private reflection. The bowler must remain engaged despite receiving no encouragement from the surface, the batsmen or the concept of time.
This has elevated boredom from an unfortunate by product of cricket into a specialist discipline. A successful fast bowler can now spend an entire session monitoring an object that is technically in play but spiritually unavailable.
“Nothing is never merely nothing,” explained Geoffrey, Professor of Tactical Cloud Watching. “It may be nothing with a short leg, nothing with a second slip, or nothing that has been carefully polished by the support staff.”
Arshdeep answered his limited game time by training heavily, bowling thousands of practice deliveries and managing his workload so he would be ready whenever an opportunity appeared. This is the athletic equivalent of standing beside a ringing telephone while performing increasingly advanced exercises to prove you deserve to answer it.
He then put the philosophy into practice during the Duleep Trophy, bowling a long spell while waiting for conditions to develop and a wicket to become interested. The process required patience, concentration and the ability to enjoy his colleagues’ company without asking whether anyone had checked the score.
Test cricket has always rewarded patience, but it may now be offering a career pathway in advanced waiting. Corporate Britain has requested the coaching notes for its strategy meetings, although employees remain unconvinced that a room full of consultants counts as a changing pitch.
Arshdeep is ready for his next opportunity. It may arrive after months of work, several format changes and one ball suddenly deciding to swing. Until then, he will remain prepared for the most demanding moment in sport, when absolutely nothing happens and everyone must laugh convincingly to prove this is why they came.
Real story: PTI via Rediff, 30 August 2025, with later corroboration from International Cricket Council, 1 September 2025.
