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IND vs ENG 5th Test: Ex-Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has reckoned that Mohammed Siraj isn't just a support bowler to Jasprit Bumrah anymore and now he can lead the side's fast bowling attack in Test from the front. In Bumrah's absence, Siraj rose to the occasion and took a nine-for during the fifth Test against England and helped the visitors level the series 2-2. Before entering the fifth and the last day, the Men in Blue needed four wickets to win, whereas the host needed 35 runs. But Siraj took three of the last four wickets and helped the team win the match by six runs.

Siraj had dropped Harry Brook's catch on the fourth day, and that led to him scoring a brilliant knock of 111 runs and thus helped the visitors take the match away from India. In Prasidh Krishna's over, Brook mistimed the shot, and it was Siraj again who took the catch while standing in the deep. But the star fast bowler had touched the boundary rope.

Akram heaped praises on Siraj for the way he made a brilliant comeback and revealed that it was brilliant how he rose when the team needed him the most. He had featured in all five Test matches and had bowled more than 185 overs.

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“Siraj was full of hunger and passion – it was an incredible effort. To bowl nearly 186 overs across five Tests and still be that fiery on the final day shows remarkable stamina and mental strength. He's not just a support bowler anymore,” Akram was quoted as saying to Telecom Asia Sport.

“He's leading the attack and doing it with heart. Even when a catch went down– that of Brook – he didn't lose focus. That's the mark of a fighter. Test cricket is alive and kicking,” he said.

‘Glued to the last day’

Wasim Akram admitted that he was glued to the TV during the last day of the fifth Test match. It shows how brilliantly both teams performed during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

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“I rarely watch cricket when I'm not working, but I was glued to the last day. I gave India a 60 per cent chance on Day 5. They just needed that first breakthrough. With Woakes injured and India sensing blood, it was game on. Siraj made that possible," he added.

The ex-Pakistan skipper also lauded the visitors for making the bold decision of snubbing Jasprit Bumrah from India's playing XI of the fifth Test match.

“It takes a brave team to rest their best bowler. But India had the bench strength, and the plan worked perfectly. With the Asia Cup in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026 coming up, this kind of foresight is essential. Bumrah is vital across formats, and managing him well is key," he concluded.