Mohammed Siraj, who pulled off one of the largest heists in the traditional format in recent memory, always thought he could win the final Test match for India from any moment, thus the word “impossible” is not in his lexicon.
“I woke up in the morning and checked google on my phone and took out a ‘Believe’ emoji wallpaper and told myself that I will do it for the country,” Siraj said after bowling India to a six-run victory against England at The Oval on Monday.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Telangana Police bowled 185.3 overs to capture 23 wickets without Jasprit Bumrah, and it couldn’t have been more fitting that he gave India a victory for future generations.
“I always believe that I can win the game from any point, and did that to the morning,” Siraj told Dinesh Karthik in a post-match chat for Jio Hotstar.
Siraj concluded with 5 for 104 in 30.1 overs and a match haul of nine wickets after persistently posing a threat to the English batters.
“My only plan was to bowl good areas. Didn’t matter if I took wickets or went for runs,” Siraj said.
While attempting to take a catch to dismiss Harry Brook when he was on 19, Siraj’s feet made contact with the boundary rope on Day 4. With Brook’s incredible century, it appeared as though India was losing the match.
“I didn’t think I’d touch the cushion when I took it. It was a match-changing moment. Brook got into T20 moment. We were behind the game after that but Thank God. I thought the match was gone,” Siraj said.
Before play began, England had the upper hand with four wickets and 35 runs remaining, but Siraj made life miserable for the rival batsmen from the very first delivery.
In the end, his effort—which was nicely supported by Prasidh Krishna at the other end—left England down by the narrowest of margins, enabling India to finish the high-pressure five-match rubber level at 2-2.
