Mohammed Siraj Shines as India Fight Hard Against England

Mohammed Siraj has become the main bowler for India during the ongoing Test series against England. In ten innings of the series, he has opened the bowling only six times. This may sound unusual for a leading fast bowler, but there is a reason. While Siraj is good with his length, he sometimes struggles with his line when using the new ball. Still, his performance stays consistent. When Jasprit Bumrah is not around, Siraj lifts his game, proving to be India’s only reliable swing bowler. Also, the Duke’s ball used in England swings better for the second-change bowler. This is because the ball’s surface becomes smoother and shinier by that time, helping it swing more.

Wobble-Seam: Siraj’s Deadly Weapon

Siraj's best delivery is his wobble-seam ball. This ball doesn’t swing but moves unpredictably after pitching, making it hard for the batter. Even though he sometimes misses the right line, he rarely misses the perfect length. During England’s second innings at The Oval, Siraj bowled brilliantly. In the 19th over, he beat Ben Duckett five times without giving in to the temptation of bowling a big outswinger. Stuart Broad, who was commenting during the match, noticed this and praised Siraj’s discipline. Siraj kept bowling the same good length without taking unnecessary risks.

Siraj’s Special Yorkers

Throughout the Test, Siraj showed great control. He only bowled two deliveries fuller than five meters when specialist batters were playing—and both were yorkers that took wickets. One was Jacob Bethell in the first innings, and the second was Zak Crawley at the end of day three. That wicket helped Siraj equal the record for most wickets in the series at that point.

Long Hours on the Field

Siraj continued to work hard even though the first hour of the fourth day did not bring him a wicket. He bowled 6.1 overs and created 13 false shots but went for 26 runs—mostly from edges. Despite the effort, Duckett’s wicket came from Prasidh Krishna, not Siraj. Earlier in the match, Siraj had bowled eight continuous overs to bring India back into the game. When asked how he manages such long spells without injury, Siraj said it's the blessings of the “upar wala” (God) and he tries to make full use of his fitness.

Siraj Gets Rewarded, Then Injured

Later, Siraj was rewarded for his persistence when he dismissed Ollie Pope with a wobble-seam delivery. After that, he finally left the field for some treatment. He had bowled long spells, and it was clear he needed rest. The changing room was three floors up, and he climbed all the way up—clearly tired but still determined.

Siraj’s Catching Error and Disappointment

After his brief break, Siraj returned to the field and was placed at long leg. He was immediately tested when Harry Brook hit a catch toward him. Siraj took the catch, but his foot touched the boundary triangle while stepping back, turning the catch into a six. It was a harsh moment. If there had only been a rope and not boundary triangles, his foot might have stayed inside. The crowd reacted with a loud “oooooooh,” and a fan clapped in Siraj’s face, adding to his pain. He did not react, choosing to stay calm.

Siraj Supports His Fellow Bowlers

At lunch, Brook had raced to 38 runs from 30 balls after getting a lifeline. As the players walked off the field, Siraj went out of his way to meet Prasidh Krishna and walked with him, smiling and encouraging him. It was a moment of silent understanding between two bowlers carrying a heavy load for the team. Akash Deep, the third fast bowler, was carrying an injury and had received a pain-killing injection to keep going.

Poor Team Selection and Heavy Burden

India once again chose a playing XI with only three fast bowlers. This has been a common issue since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India has lost five matches and won only two when they did not include four proper bowlers. The team management's focus on deeper batting has come at the cost of overworking the bowlers. This strategy may have contributed to Jasprit Bumrah’s frequent injuries and left Siraj, Prasidh, and Akash Deep to do most of the hard work in this match.

Shorter Spells but High Effort

In the last session, Siraj’s bowling spells became shorter due to tiredness. He managed only six overs and later just three at the end of the session. He was clearly exhausted. At one point, he threw away the support on his calf, choosing to focus on performance over protection. Despite being tired, he kept his speed up and kept trying hard.

England Take Advantage

During this time, Prasidh and Akash Deep also slowed down. Their speeds and swing dropped. England took full advantage as Joe Root and Harry Brook dominated. In just one session, they scored 153 runs. Even though Brook eventually got out to Siraj, the damage had already been done. Siraj ended that session lying flat on the field, tired after trying to stop a shot. He walked off with dust on his face and his head down.

A New Hope After Tea

A light drizzle during the tea break gave India a little more time to rest. The pitch may have become slightly helpful for bowlers again. Prasidh got the wicket of Bethell shortly after play resumed. Now with 42 runs left, Siraj became the crowd conductor, waving his arms to pump up the fans. The match atmosphere was electric. Siraj and Prasidh began targeting the front pads of Root and Jamie Smith, trying to get LBWs with swing and seam.

Still Giving Everything for the Team

The ball was old, but it was now swinging more again. Siraj mixed his wobble-seam and outswing deliveries cleverly. His energy never dropped. At this point, he had bowled 26 overs in the match and allowed only 69% control to batters. Even though he had only two wickets, he was India’s most used bowler with over 181 overs bowled in the series. He also had the most wickets—20 in total.

Siraj and Team Planning

Experts agree that Siraj has bowled far better than what the numbers show. His average of 36.85 per wicket might not look elite, but his effort, consistency, and skill have been incredible. Unfortunately, India’s team selection did not support their fast bowlers well. They bowled 92% of the overs in this Test—something England never did with their main bowlers. Even in England’s worst situations, they used spin more than India did in this series.

In 2005, Shane Warne dropped a catch in a similar situation during the Ashes, which cost Australia the series. Siraj is not Warne, but if India lose on the final morning, people may remember Siraj’s missed catch—even though it should never have come down to just one moment.