The Siraj bhai series: Out of Bumrah's shadow, ruling India's hearts

India Today

6 hours ago

If you had seen Mohammed Siraj steaming in on Monday morning, you'd have been forgiven for mistaking it as the opening day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. There was nothing in his body language to suggest this was Day 25 of a gruelling Test series. No sign of the 185.3 overs he'd already bowled. No visible limp in the legs that had pounded in for over a thousand deliveries. Just heart. Pure, relentless, unmistakable heart.advertisementIndia needed a miracle. England required just 35 runs with four wickets in hand. Jamie Smith, a fit wicketkeeper-batter; two aggressive all-rounders in Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson; and Chris Woakes, battling through pain with a dislocated shoulder, stood in their way. But Siraj saw none of that. What he saw was belief. Or rather, B.E.L.I.E.V.E — capital letters all emblazoned across a Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper on his phone.England vs India, 5th Test Day 5 Highlights | Scorecard
He woke two hours earlier than usual. Tossed. Turned. Couldn't sleep. It wasn't nerves or pressure, it was anticipation. The sense that this could be his moment. That he, Mohammed Siraj, the boy from Hyderabad who once ran errands on a scooter, could win India a Test match through sheer will.So Siraj channelled Bumrah on Monday morning and made the world believe in Siraj bhai.4.1 OVERS FROM HELLEngland knocked off eight runs in the first over of the day. It felt inevitable. Overton and Smith were capable of finishing it off with a couple of hits. But Siraj hadn't stopped believing.He charged in from wide of the crease, angled one in just enough to hold its line. Smith, looking to feel bat on ball, nicked it. Dhruv Jurel did the rest behind the stumps. One down. Three to go. Game on.Next over: wobble seam. His trusted ally. Overton, the big-hitter, trapped in front. England reviewed. Umpire's call. Clipping the bails. That was enough.Next over: Prasidh Krishna, inspired by Siraj's discipline, cleaned up Josh Tongue. The Oval wasn't quiet anymore. You could hear belief.Then came the final act.Atkinson, no mug with the bat, was still swinging. He launched one over long-on for six. A couple of byes followed. Then a single. The equation dropped to eight. England began to dream of a miracle of their own.But Siraj had saved his fastest for last.Ball 1113 of his series. Over 185.3. A searing yorker at 143 kph. Atkinson was late. Off-stump flattened. The Oval stunned. India erupted. Siraj sprinted away in celebration, arms spread wide, chest thumping, finishing with a Ronaldo-style SIUU.Heart of a lion. Performance of a champion. #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings | @mdsirajofficial pic.twitter.com/zvNHI4YYWw— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 4, 2025He finished with figures of 5 for 67 — his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests — and handed India a six-run victory to level the series 2–2. He gave the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy the ending it deserved.'I always believed in my bowling,' he said after the match. 'I don't care if it's my first spell or the eighth. I give 100 percent every ball. I'm not bowling for myself; I'm bowling for the country.'The final morning at The Oval wasn't just a burst of brilliance. It was a culmination of 25 days of toil, heartbreak, redemption, and unwavering self-belief. Siraj carried a nation's fight through a brutal series.At Lord's, he failed to hold on alongside Ravindra Jadeja when India needed 22 runs more in their 195-run chase. On Day 4 at The Oval, he dropped Harry Brook on 19 before the world's top-ranked batter punished India with a 90-ball 111. Twice his morale could've crumbled. A lesser man might have broken. But not Siraj. He believes. And when he believes, India believes.advertisement'I don't know why the Almighty did all that with me,' Siraj said later, half-laughing. 'Maybe he saved something good for me.'SIRAJ'S GLADIATORIAL EFFORT: IN NUMBERS1113 balls, 185.3 overs. The most bowled by any Indian pacer in the series.283 false shots drawn. No Indian seamer in recorded history has drawn more in a series.5 wickets in the final innings, 23 in total in the series.Only Indian quick to play all five Tests.To truly appreciate Siraj's impact, rewind to when he wasn't India's spearhead — just a spirited apprentice learning in Bumrah's shadow.'I only believe in Jassi bhai because he is a game-changer,' Siraj once said.And for years, that rang true. Bumrah was the phenomenon. Siraj, the workhorse. One bent the game to his will; the other bent his body for the team.But on this tour, the hierarchy shifted. Bumrah, worn from a heavy workload, lacked his usual venom. So Siraj stepped into the void — not just to fill it, but to own it.Throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Siraj bowled more overs than anyone. He became India's engine room. When the ball was old, the pitch flat, and the scoreboard ominous, Shubman Gill turned to Siraj.advertisementHe simply never stopped. Not when dropped catches robbed him. Not when his own hands failed at deep square. Not when over 1100 deliveries weighed on his legs. He just kept coming.And he kept getting better.NOT JUST HEARTIt's easy and tempting to call Siraj 'lion-hearted'. And yes, his heart is the size of Hyderabad. But to stop there would be to overlook how finely he's honed his craft.Over five Tests, Siraj showcased evolution. His wobble seam deliveries pounded English pads all tour. He rediscovered his outswinger — not just as a release, but as a trap. Lure them wide, then fire in the skiddy in-ducker. Wickets followed.Ask Joe Root. Ask Ollie Pope. They'll tell you how tough it was to react to the Siraj jag-backers, even when they saw it coming.On good days, he was teasing edges for fun. On dead days, he bent his back to keep things tight. When he needed a showstopper, he unleashed the yorker.Zak Crawley on Day 3 at The Oval — undone by a yorker after being set up beautifully.Two days later, with the series on the line, Gus Atkinson was next. After hitting a six, he faced Siraj's 1113th ball of the series: 143 kph. Missile. Off-stump. Gone.advertisementThe numbers were enormous. But Siraj's impact transcended stats. He earned admiration. Even from the opposition.Even Joe Root, rarely one for fanfare, was generous: 'He's a character, a warrior — a real warrior. Someone you want on your side. He gives everything for India. Credit to him for the way he plays. He's got this sort of fake angriness — but he's actually a lovely lad.'Ben Stokes, the archetypal last man standing, offered just this: 'I've always had great respect and admiration for Mohammed Siraj. He just keeps coming. You know he's never out of the fight.'And Brendon McCullum, the mastermind behind Bazball, summed it up:'As much as we were incredibly disappointed, I had admiration for him. What he did out there that's special.'OLD-SCHOOL GRITIndia clawed back from 1–2 down. They retained the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without their talisman at full tilt. In that final hour at The Oval, they didn't have the quickest bowler or the freshest legs. They had Siraj. And that was enough.Siraj was the emotional core of India's campaign. The man who turned exhaustion into energy.'Cricket is my first love. I can do anything for it. My passion, my dedication Whenever I don't perform or we lose, it hurts. I love the sport too much. It hurts when you have breakups (laughs),' Siraj said.In the age of T20 mercenaries and workload management, Siraj's story is a reminder. Of the days when playing for your country again and again, no matter how tired, was the greatest currency, the greatest honour of all.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like