Mohammed Siraj was the hero India needed. With England needing just 35 runs and four wickets in hand on the final day at The Oval, Siraj charged in with a plan, a quiet belief, and a memory of his late father driving him on.
“When I woke up today, I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying ‘believe’,” Siraj revealed after India's thrilling 6-run win that helped them draw the five-match series 2-2.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The morning didn’t start ideally for India, as Jamie Overton struck back-to-back boundaries off Prasidh Krishna. But Siraj, bowling with fire from the first over, dismissed Jamie Smith with a delivery that shaped away and caught the edge. Dhruv Jurel completed a sharp take, sending the Oval crowd into a frenzy.
Siraj then trapped Overton LBW in his next over and with support from Prasidh, who bowled Josh Tongue, England were suddenly nine down.
Chris Woakes came out bravely, batting left-handed with a tied-up broken arm. But it was all down to Gus Atkinson. He struck a six, edged closer to the target, and kept Woakes off strike.
But Siraj had the final say. He bowled Atkinson with a perfect yorker to seal the win. “Lord’s was heartbreaking,” Siraj said. “Jaddu bhai told me to back my defence and remember my dad. That’s what I did.”
Nine wickets, a day full of heart, and a performance for the ages. Siraj didn’t just win a match. He earned memories that will last forever.
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