India’s pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj has revealed why he decided to bowl in the crucial final Test against England earlier this year. His fearless decision helped the Shubman Gill-led side level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. Siraj was the standout performer of the series, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps, including nine in the final Test.
With frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah unavailable for the Oval clash, Siraj was given the option to rest due to concerns about the physical toll of his workload. However, the fast bowler was determined to take the field and make an impact.
“Shubman Gill asked me, ‘Kaisi hai teri body?’ (How is your body?). I said, ‘Ekdum first-class’. He asked me if I would play. I said yes. He said, you are the main bowler for us, like Jasprit Bumrah, you decide. I said I’m available and am 100 per cent fit. I will give it everything. As for my body being tired, to be honest, I would have played one more Test if it was there. I didn’t feel tired. But I was in a zone. When you enter that zone, you don’t know what you are doing, but just have that feeling that I have to do something here,” Siraj said in a conversation with The Indian Express.
Siraj’s Redemption at The Oval
Siraj also shared the emotional journey that led to his heroic performance in the series decider. The pacer had endured tough moments earlier, including getting bowled at Lord’s and overstepping the boundary rope while catching Harry Brook on Day 4 of the fifth Test. But he turned those setbacks into motivation.
“It was a script written for me from somewhere up there. From getting bowled in Lords (the Test that India lost), then reaching Oval. Then I took a catch (of Harry Brook) and touched the boundary. Everything was written for me. It was a script from God. When I woke up on that final morning, they needed 35 runs.
“I told myself that this game wouldn’t go beyond an hour and that I will win this match. The match was to start at 11 am and the team bus would leave by 9 am. I woke up at 6 am! I asked myself, ‘Why did I wake up so early today?’ I had woken up suddenly. After that, I wrote down, ‘I can do this, win the game’. When the ball came out of my hand, the execution was exactly how I was thinking; it’s a good sign. God had written, ‘Ja hero ban ja tu, become a hero’,” Siraj added.
Siraj’s heroics ensured India clinched a dramatic victory and shared the spoils in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. His relentless attitude and passion for the game once again highlighted why he is one of the most crucial members of India’s pace attack.
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