The closing Test at The Oval proved to be a nerve-crunching event as India had to pull out all stops to win the game against England while the series was in balance. With the pressure gripping sky-high, the entire crowd was biting the edge of their seats. This is when the main players of a team are expected to come good.
India did this through the use of their latest entrant spearheading fast bowler, Mohammed Siraj. Such a performance which will take Moonshine away from memory - good not only for his quality with the ball but also for the light-hearted moments he shared on the field.
The Final Test of Mohammed Siraj
When stood against England for the final Test, Siraj, on the final day of the test, bowled with enormous passion and fire. England is chasing a target of 374 and progressing along the same path, in total control of the match.
India was in need of wickets, and Siraj provided them. However, the spell he ran was that of a man with a mission, with which he was very aggressive and left the English batters in bad shape.
However, he learned that with five wickets from that backbreaking spell, the test had found a concrete line for India — in short, this was the match for India. It was very important for the last day's three wickets to remain in the match, although eventually, their fate was decided by three bowlers' last day deliveries, as India won by six runs, arguably the closest ever Test win for the team by runs.
Siraj made his contribution even more special with that match-winning performance by figuring for him. Meanwhile, he compensated by dropping a catch after catching a ball that got past a batter on Day 4. Fans on Kheloexch highlighted this performance as one of the finest bowling spells seen in recent Test cricket history.
The Unbreakable Bond: Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah
Although Siraj is fierce in bowling, all these were opposite sides to his interactions with fellow fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The two cricketers share a tight bond, which often gets reflected on the field as well. Mutual respect and a shared love for pace bowling are driving forces in their friendship.
A funny story that Siraj shared about them was about their relationship. A laughing story that Siraj shared about the Indians bowling attack was when they were sitting in the dressing room with the message that he put on his manager's phone to the effect, he's a nice guy even though he is an aged man-at the same time, he could ask intimate personal questions years later that come across in a message and even ask him to kneel down. Did he really ask him to kneel down while talking to one another? A hilarious aside, that was.
Jasprit Bumrah appeared puzzled and asked, "Where are you going? If you leave, whom will I hug after taking five wickets?"
And it was this very humorous moment that proved that there was a light-spirited atmosphere in the team, even while the level of pressure appeared to be very high.Their friendly banter is not just for the time being. Against Pakistan, there was one more exchange between the two that was hilarious.
- Siraj has made a beautiful stop diving into the field near the boundary.
- After standing, he made gestures and expressed that he could not see the ball. This moment gave Bumrah a push to follow his sense of humor.
- And so, Bumrah, the vandal, indicated immediately, as well, that one should go with IS sunglasses lying atop his cap.
Shares the camaraderie that runs through the Indian team during the very moments of humor that are happening all over the dressing room.
Indeed, within the context of stiff competition, there is always a moment of laughter among friends.
The impact of performance
Siraj's achievement was nothing less than monumental for India. His five wickets went well beyond winning a single game; they handed the five-match series to India with a layered level score of 2-2.
With much effort and consistency, he emerged as the best wicket-taker of the series, capturing 23 wickets throughout the tour. He had played in all five Tests, the only one from both sides to appear in all Tests. He was a testament of his capability and dedication to fitness.
From the fact that his status ends today; he has become a leading bowler in his second-wind performance. He has become an inspired pace-attack leader, holding the more senior bowlers away during their tough times.
The fact that Siraj is such an angular bowler, most important for the skipper can lash crucial wickets and bowl long career spells, confirms it all.
After holding up his last court guardians, he was seen on the field displaying those emotions which concluded clearly over the victory owing to all his "showmanship." Mohammed Siraj is indeed a very skillful bowler and a player equipped with an enormous heart.
