• Source:JND
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India vs England 5th Test: England’s head coach Brendon McCullum lavished praise on India's star speedster Mohammed Siraj for his outstanding performance in the final Test, describing the five-match series as one of the most thrilling he has been a part of.

Siraj, who always had this towering shadow of Jasprit Bumrah on him, finally showed his full throttle potential on Monday at the Oval as the second-in-command traced a bright silhouette for himself.

The 31-year-old pacer turned to bowl a game-changing spell, leading India to a famous win and lifting his stock to an all-time high. The pacer became the de facto leader of the Indian bowling unit, bowling down as many as 185.3 overs, and never avoided extended spells, kept coming at the batter even when he had nothing left in the tank.

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“When Siraj took that final wicket, as much as we were incredibly disappointed, (I had) admiration for him and the fight he has got as a cricketer and the way he was able to do what he did," McCullum was quoted as saying on Sky Sports after the match.

The Test series turned out to be one of the most intensely fought and drama-filled showdowns in recent times.

"That is the best five-match Test series I have ever been a part of and witnessed. It just oscillated so much right throughout the six weeks and I felt it had everything. I thought there was quite a lot of hostilities at times, camaraderie at times, great cricket at times, there was some average cricket because of the pressure both sides were under," said the former dashing Kiwi batter.

"We knew it was going to be hard coming into the series, we knew they were going to test us physically and mentally. I think it tested both teams a lot more than what was expected. It was a cracking series and I think 2-2 was a fair reflection."

McCullum pointed out the physical and mental challenges faced in high-intensity contests and said the five-game series was an "unbelievable spectacle."

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"Playing all five days of all five Tests becomes a mental exertion. Obviously, we had to call in fresh legs in this last Test match. You know it is coming but you don't know what is coming until it hits you," McCullum said.

"It is the hardest thing in cricket, playing a five-game series and being tested as much as you are for as long as you are. It challenges not just as a sportsperson but your character. It questions how much you want it. As a fan of a game, I thought it was an unbelievable spectacle," said England head coach.