With the team again being without its best bowler in Jasprit Bumrah, the overworked Mohammed Siraj and the much-criticised Prasidh Krishna stood up like rocks for the team. Mohammed Siraj took four wickets for 86 runs in 16.2 overs, and Prasidh took the same in 16 overs for 62 runs as India bowled out England for 247-10.
Shubman Gill’s playful remark in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Leeds — ‘Ek taraf Mohammed, ek taraf Krishna, dono tabahi’ (There’s Mohammed on one end, and Krishna at the other, both are destroying England) — makes much more sense after Friday, the second day of the fifth match.
It helped create a new record for the five-Test series as their combined tally formed more than half of the 15 wickets that fell in the day. It was the highest so far, beating 14 scalps taken on the fourth day at Lord’s. Akash Deep (one wicket), Gus Atkinson (four wickets, three in the previous Indian innings) and Josh Tongue (two wickets, one in each innings) also contributed to the record.
Mohammed Siraj – The Tiredless Workhorse sparkles vs England
India’s bowlers spearheaded a spirited comeback after a disastrous first session on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, London. Mohammed Siraj was at the forefront of the recovery, claiming three wickets in a fiery post-lunch spell under grey skies in the English capital.
Mohammed Siraj bowled eight consecutive overs in the second session, breaking the back of England’s batting line-up with an inspired effort. It was a special performance from the Hyderabad pacer, made even more significant by the fact that he has featured in every match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Notably, he is the only fast bowler not to have missed a single Test in the series, having sent down over 150 overs across eight innings.
Earlier in the day, India had conceded 109 runs in just 16 overs during the morning session, as openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley launched a relentless assault on the three-man pace attack of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, it seemed England would seize control of the match—especially given India’s modest first-innings total of 224.
But Mohammed Siraj answered the call when India needed a leader. He dismissed key batters Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Jacob Bethell, proving once again that he has what it takes to lead the attack in the longest format. He was well supported by Prasidh Krishna, who also took three wickets, including the crucial scalp of Zak Crawley, who was racing towards a century.
India used the lunch interval to reassess their approach after being stunned by the attacking intent of Duckett and Crawley. Mohammed Siraj then stepped up with a spell that helped shift the momentum in India’s favour. Mohammed Siraj had been guilty of erring in line and length during the morning session. But in the second, he kept it simple, letting the conditions at The Oval work in his favour. He trapped Ollie Pope and Joe Root with deliveries that jagged back sharply, and cleaned up young Bethell with a yorker the left-hander clearly didn’t expect.
Mohammed Siraj, fittingly, went past Jasprit Bumrah to become India’s leading wicket-taker in the Test series in England.England had collapsed from 129 for 1 to 242 for 8 before rain stopped play in the final session. With Chris Woakes injured and unable to bat, England were a batter down. Seeing his lion-hearted performance, Sanjay Bangar the former Indian batting coaach has compared the duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to Legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid further exemplying their monumental performances .
Sanjay Bangar compares Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to Legends Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has drawn a fascinating parallel between India’s current pace attack and their legendary batting pair, comparing Jasprit Bumrah to Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Siraj to Rahul Dravid. The analogy came after Siraj’s lion-hearted 4/86 at The Oval, where he partnered with Prasidh Krishna to bowl England out for 247 on Day 2. Bangar emphasized that Siraj’s contributions often get overshadowed by Bumrah’s brilliance, much like Dravid’s did alongside Tendulkar.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Bangar explained his iconic comparison while sharing some empathy for Mohammed Siraj’s tireless 155.2 overs this series, which have reinforced his status as India’s workhorse.
” It’s like when Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were playing, Sachin used to get all the limelight and Rahul Dravid used to quietly do his job as well. I would say it is a similar sort of situation when Siraj and Bumrah are playing together,” Bangar said on an exclusive show with ESPNcricinfo.
Sanjay Bangar also commented on Mohammed Siraj’s tireless workload as he outworked himself in this series in Bumrah’s absence from two Tests.
“The workload factor may not come in for Siraj. Fortunately, Siraj’s hasn’t had the kind of injuries Bumrah has had to endure. Because his action is more conventional, he does depend a lot on the momentum that he generates in his run-up and it doesn’t take that much of a toll on his body. Unlike Bumrah, the mechanics are totally different,” Bangar added.
This explains why Mohammed Siraj has played all five Tests this series while Bumrah was restricted to three. With India 75/2 in their second innings, trailing by 148, Mohammed Siraj’s ability to back up his bowling with fresh legs could prove decisive in this series finale. Nevertheless, just as Dravid’s grit complemented Sachin Tendulkar’s flair, Mohammed Siraj’s durability balances Bumrah’s explosiveness. As India push for a series-levelling win at The Oval, this “Dravid of pace” might finally step out of the shadows.
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