• Source:JND
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England vs India: Mohammed Siraj emerged as India's biggest match-winner in the recently concluded Test series against England. Siraj came up with a memorable effort throughout the tour as the five-match Test series ended in a 2-2 draw.

His best performance came in the decisive fifth and final Test at the Oval, which India won in one of the most dramatic ways on the thrilling last day. It was Siraj who landed the final blow and ended up taking nine wickets in the game, including an outstanding five-for in the second innings.

Siraj won the hearts of cricket fans all around the world and has been praised even by the England players as well as their supporters. What stood above all for India was Siraj's determination to deliver in the crucial moments. He remained the only player to feature in all five Tests and bowled the most number of overs. The lion-hearted effort was witnessed in every ball he bowled throughout the series, and it was his charged-up intensity that came out as a huge difference in the end.

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He ended the tour as the leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets to his name at an average of 32.43.

England head coach Brendon McCullum reserved massive praise for Mohammed Siraj for producing a lion-hearted effort at the Oval. His performance, especially the final wicket of Gus Atkinson, left the former batter disappointed yet full of admiration for the Indian pacer’s heart and grit.

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"When [Mohammed] Siraj took that final wicket, as much as I was disappointed, I had admiration for him — for the fight he’s got as a cricketer and the way he was able to do what he did," McCullum told Sky Sports.

There was no Jasprit Bumrah for two crucial matches, but Siraj stepped up with a match-winning effort in both of those matches, proving his worth in desperate times for India. What stood out was the way he ran in and clocked speeds of 140 km/h towards the end of Day 4 and the start of Day 5 -- the last two days of the gruelling Test series.

"To be honest, the body is fine right now, because it's almost 187 (185.3) hours in this series, but you play for the country, you give everything. I don't think too much. You bowl your sixth over, you bowl your ninth over, I don't care. I believe in myself, you bowl every ball for the country, not for myself, play for the country, you give it everything," Siraj said in the post-match press conference after finishing with 5 for 104 in England's second innings.

It wasn't just his effort with the ball in hand that made people talk about him, but also the way he sees things. Siraj was the only Indian to wear the headband that was sported by the England players as well as supporters to pay tribute to the late Graham Thorpe. He had also paid tribute to the Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota, who passed away a few weeks ago following a horrific accident. 

"I thought we'll easily take it home in the morning, but the way Siraj bowled, he deserved the success today. Siraj has had a phenomenal series and a finish," said England's star batter Harry Brook, who almost won it for his team at The Oval with a magnificent century.

The right-arm pacer witnessed a couple of heartbreaks in the series as well, but his confidence as well as passion to create impact never took the back seat. It was Siraj who got dismissed in one of the most unfortunate ways in the Lord's Test, which India lost to go behind in the series. The picture of dejected and emotional Siraj got fixed in the minds of every Indian cricket fan.

It once again came down to Siraj when he got an opportunity to almost provide a big moment for his team, but the boundary-line blunder with the catching effort gave a lifeline to Brook, who ended up stitching a huge, impactful partnership with Joe Root.

However, the tables turned in no time, and the cricketing gods aligned to give another moment to Siraj, who succeeded in scripting a new chapter in his career and gave India a win for the ages.

"I've always had great respect and admiration for Mohammed Siraj as a competitor. He just keeps coming and coming. You know that he's always going to be in a fight with you. Again, just another example of what it means. This game in particular just kept going and going. Oppositions and all that kind of stuff. I've always had a lot of admiration and respect for the way that Mohammed Siraj goes about his cricket. What he does and how he takes it on. Fair play to him," England captain Ben Stokes applauded Siraj's memorable outing in England.