The Player of the Match in the thrilling final Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy between England and India at The Oval, Mohammed Siraj, was overjoyed after guiding India to one of the most famous victories in their Test cricket history, levelling the series 2–2. He said that bowling in the right areas had done the trick for him after picking up a memorable five-wicket haul.
“I feel amazing because we fought hard from day one until now,” said Siraj at the post-match presentation. “My plan was to hit my areas consistently and build pressure. Everything from there was a bonus. When I woke up today, I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying ‘believe’. I thought the Brook drop was a game-changing moment. If it had been taken, we might not have come out today. But the way he attacked — hats off to him. Lord’s was heartbreaking. Jaddu bhai told me to back my defence, remember my dad, and do it for him.”
India needed four wickets on the final day to win the Test, while England required 35 runs to go 3-1 up. But Siraj had other plans. The right-arm pacer first dismissed Jamie Smith, who had been excellent throughout the series, and then trapped Jamie Overton in front to put India on the brink of victory. At the other end, Prasidh Krishna bowled Josh Tongue soon after to leave England nine down. A courageous Chris Woakes came out to bat with a dislocated shoulder. Gus Atkinson waged a brave resistance, and the game came down to single digits for England — but Siraj delivered a searing yorker to dismiss him and seal a famous win for India.
Siraj finished as the highest wicket-taker of the series, with 23 wickets at an average of 32.43. His tally included two five-wicket hauls.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz