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Mohammed Siraj’s stellar performance in the 5th Test against England led to a 2-2 series draw, taking 23 wickets.
Mohammed Siraj finished the series with 23 wickets. (AP Photo)
Mohammed Siraj has become the toast of Indian cricket following his gust-busting spell in the 5th Test that concluded with a remarkable win for the tourists and a 2-2 conclusion to their five-match series with England. Siraj finished the tour with 23 wickets and kept hitting the headlines with his performance and histrionics.
He took a six-fer at Edgbaston, a five-over at Oval and then had skirmishes with England batters including Ben Duckett. He was punished for his aggressive send-off to Duckett with the two brushing shoulders. He was left crestfallen after becoming the 10th Indian wicket to fall in the unluckiest of fashion at Lord’s that sealed a thrilling England win.
He dropped a catch of Harry Brook on the fourth day of the 5th Test which, again, left him devastated. Brook went on to score a century – an innings that seemed to have put England in the driving seat in the hunt of another 350-plus chase.
Monday was Siraj’s redemption as he starred in India’s defense of 35 runs on the final day as the visitors knocked down the remaining four wickets to ensure the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ended on level terms.
And former England captain Nasser Hussain has praised Siraj, drawing comparisons with the legendary Shane Warne who was loved and hated by fans in equal measure.
“Siraj is a cricketer that always gives it everything. Yes, he plays the pantomime villain at times, a bit like Warney did, and so people love to hate him, but he regularly has that massive smile on his face too,” Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“He’s a born entertainer, but crucially he’s got all the other attributes you need at the highest level: heart, passion, and ultimately skill,” he added.
Hussain then shed light on how Siraj has polished his skill to outfox the best batters of this generation. “He’s (Siraj) gone from being a hit-the-deck bowler using wobble seam to trap people LBW – as he did with Joe Root – to one who has developed outswing so big that Shubman Gill wasn’t interested in taking the second new ball,” he wrote.
Then, there is the fabulous yorker, such as the one to Crawley late on day three. He went to it again just before midday, knowing that Gus Atkinson was trying to hit him over midwicket for a second six that would have tied the game, nailing it under the most immense pressure,” he added.
Hussain said the series was the best since the Ashes 2005 which England won in dramatic fashion. “The fifth morning was so dramatic that you really couldn’t script it, concluding the best series I’ve seen since 2005,” he wrote.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
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