Mohammed Siraj: A warrior, who never stopped believing
How can you not love
? How can you not stand up and applaud the effort which he puts in for the team? How can you not appreciate the "niyat" (intention) with which he has played or prepared for the game? How can you not go aww at the child-like innocence behind the game face which continues to send shivers down the opposition's spine?
He is a rare breed, cut from a different cloth and driven by immense self-belief.
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Believe and belief remained his closest friends when he sat for the press conference with the player of the match medal around his neck, and his captain
by his side. Every time he was asked about the morning, the dramatic hour, India's turnaround and the result, there was a lump in his throat, teary-eyed sheen in his eyes and a big smile on his face. Just like his bowling, he is a heady cocktail which has a mix of everything. From the extremes to the moderates, that's Siraj's way of bowling and life.
The 31-year-old can make things happen with his self-belief and the morning of Day 5 and that evening of Day 4 were just a couple of reminders. There would have been a sleepless night in that visitor's change room before the final act and Siraj too woke up two hours ahead of his usual time.
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The game on his mind, he quickly googled "believe" and got a picture of
with the words written and it was immediately applied as the wallpaper of his phone.
Everytime he would glance at the lock screen, it was right in his face serving the reminders and it remained there even after the win was sealed and the series was drawn.
"I told myself that I will do it for my country," he said during a very candid interaction with the media and kept repeating why the drive to do something special for the 1.4 billions back home was very high. He understandably got very emotional revisiting that hour of play and how the Harry Brook drop catch was also playing on his mind.
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There weren't any PR-trained responses to anything which was fired at him as he poured his heart out and retained the character of the Siraj everyone has fallen in love with.
"Mai soch raha tha ki mere saath his aisa kyu hota hai (I was thinking why it happens with me only)," he said on the Brook drop and Lord's heartbreak before adding, "upar waale ne kuch accha socha hoga mere liye (god would have planned something better for me).
There was so much admiration from both the visiting and home press sections when he spoke with so much honesty, and kept the mood light with his one-liners.
"I was celebrating then DK bhai pulled me aside for an interview and asked questions in English," said Siraj before cracking how even breakups hurt. Even Gill was smiling when his teammate was in his elements. When the skipper was asked about Siraj and his contributions, he was ready with the bucket full of roses for the leading wicket-taker of the series.
There is a viral clip of Siraj saying "we only believe in Jassi bhai" but that mood and sentiment quickly changed to "we also believe in Siraj bhai" after the series.
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Gill asserted the respect he has earned in the change room is not for what he did this series but for whatever he has done for the country. 185.3 overs across the five Tests in a series which was dominated by the workload management and rotation chatter is an effort worth applauding and icing on the cake was his response to the workload.
"Body is fine (laughs). I have bowled almost 187 overs but I want to give my everything for the team. One shouldn't think like that they are bowling their sixth over or ninth over. I don't care. I believe in myself and the fact that you bowl every ball for your country. Play for the country, give it everything," said Siraj while asserting his point with hand gestures.
Siraj bowled 1,113 deliveries in the series and even then there was no dearth of intent or effort in the 1113th delivery which crashed into the stumps and sealed the win, his fifer and helped India seal the series. Behind the fierce competitor, is an emotional softie who never stops believing and is only focussed on achieving.
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