He bagged three wickets on the morning of Day 5 at The Oval.
“Mohammed Siraj does it for India. What a competitor he is. This is cricket at its finest. There cannot be a better sport than Test match cricket. Mohammed Siraj – the size of his heart is bigger than the size of The Oval”
What is the first thing you do after waking up? The daily morning chores, prayers, after which routine follows. You’re probably late to the breakfast table while you book a cab to work simultaneously. And then the fear of reaching late for an all-important meeting starts to kick in.
Well, how about changing your phone wallpaper on the morning of that meeting? How irrelevant, isn’t it? I think you should try it next time. It works! Of course, just doing that won’t work. It needs to be coupled with a lot of heart.
Mohammed Siraj woke up on the morning of Day 5 and changed his phone wallpaper to ‘Believe.’ And he made an entire nation believe. Every single time he ran in to bowl on the final day of the series, the Indians believed. He scalped a five-wicket haul to send shivers down England’s spine, one wicket at a time. To keep the spectators on the edge of their seats with the opposition needing 35 runs with four wickets in hand is no mean feat. But who cares? For someone who can bowl the last ball of his series at 143 kmph after bowling 185 overs, you better not speak about equations.
There are two types of players in cricket. One, those who crumble under pressure. Two, the ones who wake up believing they can do the job. India’s lion-hearted warrior chose to be the latter. When thrown in deep waters, one can either sink or swim. Siraj didn’t just swim. He paved the way for his fellow mates and scripted a chapter in Indian cricket history, which will cease to be forgotten.
AUSA-W
–
INDA-W
–
NDT
172/6
EDR
174/3
East Delhi Riders beat New Delhi Tigers by 7 wickets
NDS
163/7
ODW
144/9
North Delhi Strikers beat Outer Delhi Warriors by 19 runs
PD
–
WDL
–
CDK
–
SDS
–
CRO
–
CYP
–
CRO
–
CYP
–
WIM
128/7
LCC
127/7
Wimbledon beat London County Cricket by 3 wickets
KSP
98/7
LCC
139/10
London County Cricket beat Kreative Sports XI by 41 runs
WIM
155/6
CPP
120/6
Wimbledon beat CFS Pinnacle Pro by 35 runs
CPP
162/5
KSP
164/4
Kreative Sports XI beat CFS Pinnacle Pro by 2 runs
WIM
150/3
KSP
171/6
Kreative Sports XI beat Wimbledon by 21 runs
ESM
–
LCC
–
KSP
–
SPE
–
BAN
–
CPP
–
WIM
–
WEY
–
MID
289/7
SOM
293/4
Somerset beat Middlesex by 6 wickets
SURR
174/10
LEI
179/4
Leicestershire beat Surrey by 6 wickets
SUSS
–
KENT
–
GLAM
–
DER
–
NOT
–
WOR
–
HAM
–
ESS
–
SWE
–
FRA
–
GTC
65/9
GUG
69/1
Guwahati Giants beat Gauhati Town Club by 9 wickets
BCC
98/10
CCC
105/10
City Cricket Club beat Bud Cricket Club by 7 runs
91YC
–
NVR
–
NAJC
–
GTC
–
KUMS
83/1
CEC-A
82/10
Kuwait Swedish beat CECC by 9 wickets
PCR
106/7
BNC
103/5
Phoenix Cricketers beat Bader & Nie Cricket Club by 3 runs
BCC
–
GUJCC
–
KRMPS
–
KZK
–
SEL
211/2
MEL
85/10
Selangor beat Melaka by 126 runs
JOR
128/4
PHG
127/8
Johor beat Pahang by 6 wickets
PRK
198/7
PENG
98/8
Perak beat Penang by 100 runs
KLPR
245/2
PUT
56/5
Kuala Lumpur beat Putrajaya by 76 runs (D/L) method
HTW
163/5
MDW
128/8
Hubli Tigers Women beat Mangalore Dragons Women by 35 runs
SHLW
113/7
MWW
140/6
Mysore Warriors Women beat Shivamogga Lioness Women by 27 runs
BBW
–
HTW
–
MWW
–
MDW
–
ZIM
–
NZ
–
IRE-W
142/10
PAK-W
131/9
Ireland Women beat Pakistan Women by 11 runs
SLBL
–
SLGR
–
MAO
131/4
SOB
133/9
Southern Brave won by 1 wicket
NOS
–
WEF
–
MOW-W
95/8
SBW-W
96/4
Southern Brave Women beat Manchester Originals Women by 6 wickets
NOS-W
–
WFW-W
–
AUST
–
NOR
–
SWE
–
FRA
–
Whether it is six overs in a spell, or nine. Mohammed Siraj doesn’t care. The 31-year-old walked into the press conference and spoke like he was ready to bowl another 20 overs if he had to.
Siraj’s heroics are not limited to just the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The Indian speedster has a history of putting his hand up and rising to the occasion every time the team needed him. He stood out with a six-wicket haul in Birmingham, where India registered a mammoth 336-run victory in the second Test. What did he do post that? Just shrugged it off his shoulders and turned up for the third Test at Lord’s. Akash Deep’s exploits with the ball in the second innings of the second Test stole the show. But Siraj stood in a corner, with a benevolent six-wicket haul.
Some players rise to the occasion when they are entrusted with responsibility. India used the services of Jasprit Bumrah for just three Tests. Now this might raise some eyebrows, but they managed to win the two Tests in which Bumrah didn’t play. But there was something else which happened in those two Tests. Mohammed Siraj happened! He registered five-wicket hauls in both Tests, and propelled India towards victory along with valuable contributions from others.
It is no secret that Siraj is at his best when Bumrah isn’t around. At least, that is what the numbers suggest. India played a must-win game at the Gabba in 2021. They were left with only Kartik Tyagi as the uncapped player in the dressing room. The number of players who were ruled out of the series due to injuries was massive. And once again, there was no Bumrah! Mohammed Siraj was the leader of India’s bowling attack with two Tests under his belt. He grabbed a five-wicket haul in the second innings, before Rishabh Pant did what he does.
“For 60 overs, they should feel like hell out there”, said former captain Virat Kohli at Lord’s in 2021. And guess what? They were made to feel like hell. The destructor-in-chief? Yes, Mohammed Siraj. 10.5 overs, 32 runs and four wickets, including the last banger to James Anderson to skittle his off-stump past the defence. The Indians were ecstatic after what they had achieved. Virat Kohli was regarded for his captaincy. Once again, Mohammed Siraj winked from a corner.
India lost the first Test at Centurion on the tour to South Africa in 2024. It wasn’t just a defeat. It was humiliating. The visitors lost by an innings and 32 runs. Things needed to change in the second Test in Cape Town. Mohammed Siraj stood up with a fiery spell, claiming figures of 6/15 in the first innings. India reduced the hosts to a mere 55. They won the Test match by seven wickets. The Man of the Match? Not even a question.
India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel expressed his happiness at all the praises pouring in for the Indian speedster. It is no surprise that with the lion-hearted efforts of the fast bowler from Hyderabad, glory was just around the corner. Mohammed Siraj could just go on to etch his name alongside the best fast bowlers the world has ever seen. And it will be because of one simple thing. Persistence. The art of keeping at it. The art of banging on the door consistently till he breaks it open. One wicket at a time!
Mohammed Siraj bowled 185.3 overs in the series. Anyone who has watched the sport enough, or works in the cricket fraternity will tell you that it is a lot of overs to bowl over a five-match series. Though Siraj is being praised for his mammoth efforts and persistent will to keep hitting the deck, one must also understand the repercussions of what a fast bowler’s body goes through when he is in action. The dynamics of fast bowling are very complex. What we see in the television replays is just movements on the edge of those dynamics. However, most of the science behind fast bowling lies in the nooks and crannies of what every action entails underneath what is being shown on the outside.
Fast bowling is a high-load activity. For instance, let us consider what Mohammed Siraj’s body must have gone through each time he ran in to bowl. To put things in perspective, Siraj bowled a total of 1,113 balls in the series, spread across 25 days. One of the most important ingredients in the school of fast bowling is the run-up. In simple terms, if we keep the technical aspects aside, it is just about sprinting to create momentum.
The jump and the load-up assist the bowler into a position from where he can launch further. For a right-arm pacer, the jump takes off with the help of the left foot. But this is where things get more interesting. After the feet land on the ground one after the other, the left leg of a right-arm pacer, which can be referred to as the front foot, goes through an awful lot. Theoretically, the front foot of the bowler goes through ten times the body weight at the time of release. And this is for every single ball bowled. Imagine having to put your body through this 1,113 times. With a smile on your face.
The amount of workload Mohammed Siraj took on speaks volumes about his fitness levels. To keep performing the same action for more than a thousand times over the period of 25 days is no mean feat. And this goes for every bowler who has done it in the past and will do it in the future. We are not even considering the deliveries he must have bowled in practice sessions. The next time you see a fast bowler grinding it in, remember to take a moment to think about what his body goes through every single time he runs in to bowl.
It is not possible to finish with the most wickets in a five-match Test series without contributing to some magnificent numbers. Mohammed Siraj was a treat to watch for cricketing fans throughout the series. He made errors, also stepped on the boundary after taking a clean catch. His luck ran out at the Home of Cricket after the delivery from Shoaib Bashir went on to kiss the leg-stump, shattering the bail along with India’s hopes. But doing complete justice to what his name means, Siraj rose above every occasion with a heart of gold.
For a game that encapsulates a lot more than just numbers, speaking of stats might not give us a complete idea of the impact a player has had. But not speaking of stats might be an injustice to what a player has achieved. The contribution of Mohammed Siraj to this series will seldom be calculated based on numbers. After what happened at Lord’s and the missed chance of Harry Brook on Day 4, we can certainly agree to the fact that – The best thing about time is, it changes.
“Lord’s aur Harry Brook catch ke baad laga, ye mere saath hi kyu hota hai? Lekin Uparwaale ne mere liye kuch accha bhi likha tha”, said an emotional Siraj after the game.
Now that we have all caught our breath back, here are some of the records which Mohammed Siraj shattered with his persistent bowling effort in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy:
Speak of effort, and Mohammed Siraj is always first in line. The Indian pacer bowled a staggering 185.3 overs in the five-match series, the most for any bowler in the series.
Siraj picked 23 wickets in five matches along with a couple of five-wicket hauls. This is the most wickets in the series for any bowler. Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes stood second and third, with 19 and 17 wickets respectively.
The 31-year-old now holds 46 wickets on English soil in the longest format, the second most for an Indian bowler. He went past the legendary Kapil Dev, who has 43 wickets to his name. Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma are tied for the first spot with 51 scalps each.
Siraj has equalled Bumrah for the most wickets (23) picked by an Indian in a single series on English soil. Bumrah achieved the same number on India’s tour to England in 2021/22.
The Gujarat Titans (GT) bowler has now picked 104 wickets away from home since his debut. This is the most for any bowler since Siraj made his Test debut. Jasprit Bumrah stands second on the list, with 102 scalps.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was Siraj’s best series in terms of wickets taken (23), topping the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, in which he picked 20 wickets.
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There is a slight yet evident difference between good bowlers and great bowlers. Good bowlers can wreak havoc when the conditions assist their skill set. They can break the spines of any batting order. Great bowlers make things happen. They churn out wickets when there is no assistance. When the chips are down. When the shoulders are dropping. If you watched Mohammed Siraj bowl, you would understand what bowling with heart means.
Yes, it was not just him who won the game for India. When we think of the Test match from a complete perspective, the ton from Yashasvi Jaiswal, the blistering cameo from Washington Sundar, were as important as Siraj’s contribution. But when the chips were down, when the shoulders were dropping, there was one man who stood up with the ball. Mohammed Siraj!
It is not every day that you see a fast bowler with that big a heart. The story of Mohammed Siraj, who rose through the ranks and faced hardships in his early days, provides valuable insight into the origin of this never-say-die attitude. A son of a rickshaw-driver, making his way towards becoming one of the best red-ball bowlers India has ever produced – Siraj is surely driving an entire nation’s love towards him.
It is not about the wickets. It never was. This story is about hope. When the ball was in Siraj’s hand, the nation hoped. When no one thought India could win, Siraj did. And he didn’t just believe. He carried the hopes of an entire cricketing nation towards glory.
Maybe, just maybe, a kid in some lane across the streets will pick up a cricket ball and dream about becoming a fast bowler for his country. This is what Siraj will have earned. The greatest players don’t just create records. They inspire.
Just as I sign off, my phone wallpaper has Mohammed Siraj on it. And I think I know why!
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