During the recently concluded tour of England, Mohammed Siraj has confirmed his stature as India’s most important strike bowler. His presence in the team made up for the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, and India was able to fight back only because of the lion-hearted bowling of Siraj. With 23 wickets in the series Siraj emerged as the top wicket-taker on both sides, and his outstanding display drew praise from many quarters. Siraj has emerged from the shadow of Jasprit Bumrah finally, and now it cannot be denied that he is the star.
At the historic Oval stadium, the glorious uncertainties of cricket unfolded in a spectacular manner as India snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat to draw level in the series. Siraj, along with the solid support of Prasidh Krishna engineered the great escape. On the last day, England needed only 35 runs to win with four wickets in hand. It seemed like a mere formality.
But Hyderabad’s most successful bowler was determined that England should not win. Siraj’s thunderbolts hammered down the England fortress and made sure that India emerged as the winner in a nail-biting finish. For the Englishmen there was no shelter because at the other end, Prasidh Krishna was also firing away.
There was one person who was always confident that Siraj could pull off the impossible. That was M.V. Narasimha Rao, former captain of Hyderabad. As soon as the match ended, Rao called this correspondent from Ireland and expressed his jubilation about the result.
“Didn’t I tell you earlier that Siraj would bowl us to a victory? My prediction was absolutely right. I have trained him in his formative years and I know what he is capable of. I’m sure that he will give us more glorious victories in the future,” said an overjoyed Rao.
Actually, one did not have to look far to find the reason that motivated Siraj to launch an all-out attack. He had been at the center of two misfortunes. The first of these happened in the third Test when Siraj was batting and desperately trying to save India. But a ball from England’s Shoaib Bashir hit his bat, dropped between his legs, and dislodged the bails. It was difficult to see Siraj’s agony after that dismissal. The Hyderabadi was in tears.
The second incident happened in the last match. On the fourth day, Siraj had messed up a chance by stepping on the boundary rope while taking a catch off Harry Brook. If India had lost, Siraj would have been pilloried. That missed opportunity would have been held up as the main reason for India’s defeat. His detractors would have made that an excuse to omit him from the team in future matches.
So Siraj was fighting for the life of his cricket career. He also wanted to erase all the bad memories. So those were the two reasons that got him fired up when England began its chase. The DSP of Telangana police proved that he could shoot at the bull’s eye whenever required. In this match he bowled no less than 46.3 overs, 7 maidens, and took 9 wickets for 190 runs. Those statistics speak for themselves.
For Siraj, there were no workload management breaks. He was the only Indian fast bowler to play all five matches and bowled his heart out in all of them, emerging as the highest wicket-taker in the series with 23 scalps. Siraj epitomised grit, hard work, and a never-say-die spirit. Among Hyderabad bowlers, Siraj now has the maximum number of wickets in Test matches with 123. Behind him are Pragyan Ojha (113) and Shivlal Yadav (102).
This is what the well-known cricket writer Boria Majumdar wrote about Siraj: “Mental strength, more than anything else, is what has set this Indian team apart in the series. Siraj is the best example. Day in and day out, he keeps doing what he is best known for in Test cricket. He produces match-winning performances when the chips are down.”
Even England’s high-scoring batter Joe Root was all praise for his rival Siraj. “He is a warrior that every team will want. He gave his heart for India’s cause.” England coach Brendon McCallum also heaped accolades on Siraj. Today this humble son of an auto-rickshaw driver of Hyderabad deserves all the plaudits and praise that he is getting from many quarters. He can hold his head high, and India can do the same because of him.
