London, Aug 2: As others limped to the finish line, Mohammed Siraj sprinted through it — not just figuratively, but with fire in his boots and the final wicket of the series to his name.
In what has been a physically punishing Test series for pacers on both sides, Siraj emerged as the last man standing — quite literally. While the unusually dry English summer and a string of flat, batter-friendly pitches took their toll on the fast bowling contingent, Siraj alone weathered it all. He featured in all five Tests — a feat unmatched by any other seamer in the series. His Indian teammates Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, and England’s Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, and even Chris Woakes, who was initially picked for all five matches, all succumbed to injuries or were deemed unfit during the course of the series. But Siraj, despite the heavy workload, kept steaming in — all the way to the final day, where he delivered a decisive blow with his fifth-fastest ball of the tour to seal a thrilling Indian win.In a modern game where the durability of fast bowlers often goes unnoticed, Siraj’s marathon effort across a compact 45-day series stood out like a beacon. Much has been said about the jam-packed scheduling of five-Test series post the advent of The Hundred, but the truth is, the compression of match calendars isn’t entirely new. England’s five-match home series against India in 2018 lasted only four days fewer than this one. Regardless of the timelines, the result has been a heavy toll on fast bowlers — and Siraj’s fitness, stamina and impact have been extraordinary against that backdrop.Throughout the series, Siraj’s resilience was matched by his skill. On Day 2 of the final Test, with England threatening to build an imposing first innings lead, he delivered a hostile post-lunch spell, snaring three wickets in eight overs. The standout was a searing yorker that rattled Jacob Bethell — a delivery Siraj later called his favourite of the series, set up meticulously by a sequence of balls that moved away before crashing one into the base of leg stump.
Two days later, on the fourth morning, Siraj produced another marathon eight-over burst, removing Ollie Pope with a clever nip-backer — a mode of dismissal that had troubled the England captain twice in the match. Though luck deserted him against Ben Duckett, whom he beat five times in one over, his pace and precision — still touching 89 mph late in the tour — underlined his relentless commitment.
Siraj’s most telling contribution, however, came at the death. As England edged towards the target with just 73 runs to win, it was Siraj who turned the tide yet again. Despite having dropped Harry Brook earlier — a moment that could’ve haunted him — he returned with venom. His old-ball reverse swing, in tandem with a tiring Prasidh Krishna, halted England’s progress. Siraj bowled five overs for just four runs off the bat in that spell, applying the brakes just when the hosts seemed to be cruising.And on the fifth and final day, with emotions running high and the game hanging by a thread, Siraj once more rose to the occasion. Amidst mounting tension, dropped catches, misfields and umpiring errors, it was the Hyderabad pacer who stood tall. His final spell bagged three of England’s last four wickets, including a match-sealing yorker to Atkinson that sparked jubilant celebrations. (Agencies)
