Bengaluru, Sept. 11 -- Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj, who featured in the runners-up squad for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy, explained the reason behind his dipped pace during Test tour to Sri Lanka, saying that he is a "purely rhythm bowler" and his body is not meant to handle long breaks.

During the series against Sri Lanka, Siraj took four wickets in four innings, and there was a dip in his pace. In the first innings of the Duleep Trophy final at Bengaluru, he was operating at a low pace of 125-130 mph during the first innings, where he went wicketless for 140 runs, before getting 1/47 in the next innings, where he hit the speeds close to 135 mph more often, extracting some movement off a benign Chepauk pitch and in the air as well....