In a remarkable turnaround over just a few weeks, Mohammed Siraj emerged as the defining figure in India’s dramatic fightback against England, helping his team level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. The pacer’s exceptional performance in the fifth and final Test at The Oval, where he claimed nine wickets, earned him the Player of the Match award and widespread acclaim.
Mohammed Siraj’s impactful bowling display was pivotal in India securing a memorable draw in the series, after trailing earlier. His ability to bounce back from recent disappointments captured the attention of fans and cricketing authorities alike.
“𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒔 — 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒋’𝒔 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆,” 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕-𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏.
From Lord’s Heartbreak to Oval Redemption
Not long before his Oval heroics, Siraj faced tough moments at Lord’s, where India fell short by just 22 runs while chasing 193. Coming in as the last batter, he partnered with Ravindra Jadeja to add 23 hard-fought runs off 80 balls. His determination gave India faint hopes of a miracle.
However, tragedy struck in the 75th over. With Shoaib Bashir bowling through injury, a dipping delivery gripped the surface and snuck under Siraj’s bat before rolling onto the stumps. The heartbreaking dismissal ended India’s chase and left Siraj visibly devastated.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝑪𝑪 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, “𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒋’𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.”
His misfortune continued during the final Test as well. On Day 4 at The Oval, Siraj—fielding at fine leg—misjudged a lofted shot from Harry Brook and inadvertently stepped on the boundary cushion while trying to save a six. The lapse cost India valuable runs in a tense moment of the game. The ICC again posted about Siraj, framing his journey as a “From misery to joy” story.
A Record Worth Noticing: Mohammed Siraj’s Overseas Brilliance
Despite these setbacks, Siraj’s mental strength and unwavering focus brought him back into the spotlight. His nine-wicket match haul dismantled England’s batting lineup and helped India script a remarkable recovery.
Mohammed Siraj’s overseas record speaks volumes about his quality. In nine Test wins for India in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), he has claimed 51 wickets at an impressive average of 18.92, including four five-wicket hauls.
With his latest performance, Mohammed Siraj not only silenced critics but also cemented his place as one of India’s most reliable red-ball bowlers abroad.
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