Mohammed Siraj knocking the stumps out was a fitting way for the series to end — a performance of incredible guts and skill from him and India, as they drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2.Siraj bowled Gus Atkinson with a sublime yorker, sealing India’s victory and drawing the series. It was a five-wicket haul for Siraj, who played all five Tests.
“I was just focusing on bowling in the right areas. I wasn’t too concerned about conceding a boundary,” he told Dinesh Karthik after the match.“I just wanted to bowl in the right areas and pick wickets.”On the first ball of the 35th over, Brook got a huge reprieve on 19 when Siraj — who had just returned to the field after a short break — attempted a catch in the deep off Prasidh Krishna. But in the process of taking it, he stepped on the boundary cushion, converting a potential wicket into a six.“What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking at all… He didn’t have to move to take the catch — so how costly might that be? Brook is still in and reads the bowlers so well. He bats in a Test match like you’d read a bowler in a T20,” said Ricky Ponting on Sky Sports during the lunch break.Ravi Shastri, former India head coach, felt the dropped catch would fire Siraj up in the second session.“How much fuel does Siraj have left in him?” Shastri wondered.
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“Without him, this series would have been over, done and dusted. He has kept India in the hunt and needs a big afternoon session. That dropped catch of Brook will probably spur him on, and I’m sure he’ll continue to give everything.”Siraj admitted that he thought the game was gone after dropping Harry Brook on Sunday.“Honestly, I didn’t think I had stepped on the boundary cushion after catching it. It was a match-changing moment. Harry Brook went into T20 mode from there and we fell behind in that phase,” Siraj said.Mohammed Siraj was India’s hero as they beat England by just six runs in the fifth Test at The Oval on Monday, ending the series level at 2-2.England, chasing 374, were bowled out for 367, with Siraj taking 5 for 104.After resuming on 339/6, England lost their last four wickets for just 28 runs on the final morning of a thrilling Test series.
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