Trisha Ghosal in London
On the eve of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Mohammed Siraj faced the press. When asked whether he bowls better in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, he had said, “I feel proud. Even in 2023, I was India’s top wicket-taker when Bumrah wasn’t around. That responsibility brings the best out of me.”
And today at The Kia Oval, it was no different. With Bumrah released from the squad and unavailable for the fifth and final Test, Siraj once again took on the role of pace spearhead. Before lunch, he couldn’t quite find his rhythm and bowled just four overs. But after the interval, captain Shubman Gill turned to Siraj in the 25th over. England were cruising at 142 for 2, trailing by just 82.
In his very first over, Siraj removed the England skipper Ollie Pope. A good length delivery that jagged in sharply caught Pope flat-footed. Though the on-field umpire gave it not out, Siraj was confident and convinced Gill to review. The decision was overturned in India’s favour. That breakthrough was all Siraj needed to flick the switch.
India’s bowling improved markedly after lunch. While the lines and lengths were erratic in the morning, post-lunch they consistently hit the good length area. The result? A flurry of plays and misses, edgy strokes, and mounting pressure on the English batters.
Siraj, charging in with renewed energy, produced another peach in the fifth over of his spell. He delivered a good length ball outside off that nipped back in sharply and skidded through. Joe Root was caught on the crease and dismissed, sending the Indian supporters into raptures while Siraj celebrated without even checking the umpire’s signal.
When Siraj is in rhythm, you back him for a long spell especially with only 224 on the board. Gill did just that. In his seventh over, Siraj struck again. He surprised Jacob Bethell with a yorker, catching him off guard. Bethell missed it completely and was trapped lbw.
When asked before the Old Trafford Test about Ben Stokes’ 10-over spell earlier in the series at Lord’s, Siraj had said, “It was an incredible effort. The match was on a knife’s edge. There’s no shame in learning from the opposition. We’re all trying to win for our team.” Today, he proved he had indeed taken notes. His eight-over post-lunch spell yielded 3 for 31, turning the match on its head.
Siraj brought India back into the contest, and Prasidh Krishna pushed them ahead. Brought on after Siraj’s marathon spell from the Micky Stewart End, Krishna responded brilliantly. Jamie Smith attempted to force a rising delivery without any footwork and KL Rahul at second slip made no mistake.
Later in the same over, Krishna struck again. He bowled a good-length delivery that nipped back in. Jamie Overton had no answers. England walked off at tea having lost their seventh wicket, still trailing by nine runs, with Chris Woakes unavailable due to injury.
Session won by Indian pacers: 24.5 overs, 106 runs, six wickets.
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