Mohammed Siraj emerged as the match-winner for India in a heart-stopping finish at The Oval, where the visitors defeated England by just six runs to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. In what turned out to be India’s narrowest victory margin in Test history, Siraj delivered a memorable performance, claiming 5 for 104 in England’s second innings, including a fiery burst of 3 for 9 on the final morning.With England needing just 35 runs and four wickets in hand at the start of Day 5, the odds were heavily in the hosts’ favour. But Siraj led a spirited Indian pace attack that turned the match on its head, dismissing Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson in quick succession to seal the win.
Reflecting on his performance, Siraj said, “I can’t describe what happened to me yesterday because when Harry Brook… yesterday’s match would’ve looked completely different. That was a turning moment, and the way I made a comeback—when I woke up in the morning, I told myself, I will change the game. And as soon as I woke up, I wrote it down on a piece of paper from Google and said, I will do it.”Siraj said he kept things simple and stuck to his strengths. “I had just one plan: to consistently hit the same spot, from where the ball could come in or go out. I didn’t want to try too many things, because if I did, the pressure could’ve been released. So I just focused on being consistent and sticking to the plan.”Acknowledging the effort of the team, he added, “This series result is equal to a series win. The way this young team has levelled the series—it’s really something. From Day One to today, we’ve adapted like chameleons—every match, every day, every session. So credit goes to everyone in the squad.”Siraj finished the five-match series as the highest wicket-taker, with 23 wickets at an average of 32.43.
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