On the evening of 14 July 2025, at Lord's, India was nearly there. India needed 23 runs. One wicket remaining. Siraj threw a ball. The batter blocked it. The ball went into the stumps. The batter got out. He wept and left the field.
At The Oval on August 4, 2025, morning, the game had another dramatic turn. England needed 7 runs to win. India needed a wicket. One ball could ruin India's chances. Siraj delivered a yorker. It hit the stumps. The bowler was thrilled. The batter who had cried minutes ago smiled. That batter was Mohammed Siraj.
Earlier at Lord's, Siraj had bowled well. But he offered a wicket at the wrong time. Fans criticized him. On the fourth day, he misplaced a simple catch of Brooke at fine leg. He crossed over the boundary cushion. The catch was for nothing. Brooke scored a century from 19. England were to win easily. Had they won, Siraj would be criticized again.
Siraj never lost hope. On the final day, he bowled differently. He disposed of Smith. Smith had been India's biggest challenge. He disposed of Overton as well. And then Siraj pitched a great yorker which disposed of Atkinson. Indian cricket fans remember that still.
Siraj may not have matched the popularity of a bowler like Bumrah. But he has taken India to decisive wins abroad. He had made key wickets during the 2020–21 tour of Australia. He took five at Melbourne. He took six at the Gabba. He had taken eight wickets at Lord's during the 2021 tour of England. He also supported the win in South Africa (Cape Town) and Australia (Perth). In the current England series, his contribution at Birmingham and The Oval proved to be the turning point.
Opponents call their home pitches "bronze castles." Siraj flourished there. He flourished when India needed wins abroad.
There are questions raised: fatigue? Teams rest fast bowlers. Workload management is the practice. Bumrah is injured often. He played just three Tests in this series. Other pacers get injured too. But Siraj stays fit. From the start of his career, he never had fitness issues. He never spent any time at the National Cricket Academy to undergo rehabilitation. He plays all the games. In this series, he is the only pacer who has played all five Tests for both teams without being injured. He bowled 185.3 overs (1,113 balls). Irrespective of the number of games or overs, he is still strong. He bowls whenever his captain requires him to do so. He bowls more than ten overs continuously.
Since Siraj has become a part of the team, India has won a lot of matches abroad. Other bowlers are frequent visitors. Bumrah is uncertain due to fitness. Siraj is the only regular bowler. He plays all Test matches. He is taking wickets consistently.
In the initial phase of his career, Siraj had pace but not line and length. Over time, he developed control. He became consistent. Most pacers lose their fastness after two years. They are concerned about injury. Siraj still goes for high speeds.
On Monday, he used his pace again. He rattled England's tail. He led India to a record triumph. England was secure with 35 to protect and four wickets in hand. But Siraj flipped the script.
He has Ronaldo's picture on his phone. His screen saver is: "Believe." That's a fitting caption for him. He hung in and did the impossible.
While Siraj contributed vital roles in most wins abroad, he was not entirely famous. The current series changed that. Especially in the final Test, he became a national hero. The cricket world recognized his performance. They praise our consistent Mohammed Siraj.
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