Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj said he never lost faith in his ability to deliver a sensational victory for India after his five-wicket haul clinched a thrilling six-run win for the visitors’ over England in the fifth Test at the Oval on Monday.
Chasing 374 for victory, England resumed day five on 339-6, and needed just 35 more runs for a 3-1 series triumph. But they were bowled out for 367, with Siraj picking a sensational 5-104 as India leveled the five-match series 2-2.
England had no answers to Siraj’s precision and persistence, as he tore through the lower order with a burst of three wickets while conceding only nine runs in 25 balls. Fittingly, Siraj sealed the win for India by knocking over Gus Atkinson’s off-stump.
“I would rate this highly because from the first day till now, the way we fought, it was an unbelievable fight. Each and every one in the dressing room had the belief that we will win the match from here,” said Siraj in the post-match press conference.
Amongst the things he took inspiration from was a wallpaper he googled of his favourite footballer Cristiano Ronaldo before leaving for day five’s play. "I woke up at 6 am, took this and put it as my wallpaper (a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo, titled 'BELIEVE!').
I thought I could do it. We had momentum yesterday, soch rahe the kal hi niptaane ko (We were thinking of finishing it yesterday itself),” he added. Siraj was named player of the match for his overall match figures of 9-190 and finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets coming at an average of 32.43.
Siraj leading India to a spectacular win came on the back of him stepping on the boundary rope while trying to take Harry Brook’s catch and conceded a six, as the right-handed batter went on to make 111. “Talking about Lord’s and that Harry Brook catch… I felt mere saath hi aisa kyu.
Upar waale ne kuch accha likha hoga mere liye (Why does this happen only to me? God must’ve planned something good for me), and that’s why I am at this level today. I got the last wicket and I felt really good today. If it had been taken, we might not have come out today," concluded Siraj.