In an epic finish to the five-match Test series between India and England, Mohammed Siraj emerged as the hero on Day 5, triggering a dramatic collapse of England's batting lineup and powering India to a memorable six-wicket victory at The Oval. The win helped the visitors draw the series 2-2, after a hard-fought battle across five matches.
With England incredibly favored to claim the victory, it was Mohammed Siraj who stole the show on the fifth day, sparking a collapse that saw England lose all of their wickets for 367 in their chase of 374. This win was more important for Siraj, as he had dropped Harry Brook on day 4 while attempting a catch near the boundary, and the batter fired a crucial hundred. Siraj had touched the boundary cushion while attempting a catch of Harry Brook, which resulted in a six.
''To be honest, I didn't think that I would take the catch and step on the rope. It was a match-changing moment. The way Harry Brook played after that. Yes, I always believe myself that I will do it for the team. If I had taken that catch properly, probably we may not have had to come today,” Siraj told SkySports.
Later, in the press conference, Siraj narrated that he woke up early on Monday, and he searched for a motivational wallpaper for his mobile phone. Instantly he found an image of Cristiano Ronaldo with the word “Believe”.
“This morning when I woke up, I searched this emoji on Google (‘Believe’ with Cristiano Ronaldo). I knew I could do something special. Usually, I wake up at 8, but today I woke up at 6am. I believed that I could do it. Belief is very important,” Siraj said.
Prior to Siraj’s brilliance, India were taken to a magnificent total in the second innings by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who blazed a sizzling century. Akash Deep. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar also stepped up with their half-centuries.