LONDON: Fifteen minutes before tea on Day Two, Mohammed Siraj had his hands on his head when Jamie Smith nearly played around a ball angled into the stumps. That was Siraj’s last delivery of a spell that brought India roaring back into the final Test here at the Oval on Friday.India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had on Thursday described Jasprit Bumrah’s absence as a “complex situation”. However, Bumrah’s absence usually simplifies things for Siraj. He becomes the undisputed leader of the pace attack and more often than not, he delivers. Two days before the fourth Test in Manchester, Siraj’s stellar record in the absence of Bumrah was even highlighted during a media briefing. “I feel proud. Even in 2023, I was India’s top wickettaker when Bumrah wasn’t around. That responsibility brings the best out of me,” Siraj had said in response.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!As the discussion hit a lighter note, he beamed in embarrassment and said, “Don’t say that I am better off without Bumrah.”India desperately needed a leader with the ball on Thursday. Siraj turned up with all his passion and experience. He bowled eight overs on the trot in the afternoon session. The fierce fighter in him doesn’t let him throw in the towel. That zeal can be infectious. As Siraj got the rhythm going, it rubbed off on the others — there was a marked difference in the way Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep bowled.
Siraj usually derives inspiration from people around him. He was in awe of Ben Stokes’ beastly spell at Lord’s. Siraj, in full flight, is no less a beast. “There’s no shame in learning from the opposition. We’re all trying to win for our team,” Siraj had said. In one particular spell on Friday afternoon, he channelled all his qualities to deliver a spell of 3/35 in eight overs of probing seam bowling.He couldn’t wait to get back into the action after tea. He didn’t care for the end he was going to bowl from. He just took the ball and decided to let it rip. Gus Atkinson, England’s star with the ball, had said on Thursday that the England bowlers could have bowled a lot into the stumps. “It’s a hard ground because it is too bouncy to challenge the stumps,” Atkinson had warned. Siraj adjusted and got the length a lot fuller in the second session. Siraj did just that to get a string of LBWs and set the template for his fellow pacers.No one can ever fault Siraj for the effort he puts in. At times, it may appear he is rapidly burning himself out. Yet, he is in contention to be the only pacer from either side to have played all five Tests till the completion of the match. His competition Chris Woakes was ruled out on the second morning owing to a shoulder injury.For all the effort he has put in through his Test career, the five-wicket hauls have not come as frequently as Siraj would have liked. “Yeah, it’s frustrating. You keep beating the bat and nothing happens. But I trust my process. I believe God is watching. If not today, the wickets will come tomorrow,” Siraj had said.
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