India vs England Oval Test: Lion-hearted Mohammed Siraj earns Stuart Broad’s praise for fiery spell

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India vs England Oval Test: Lion-hearted Mohammed Siraj earns Stuart Broad’s praise for fiery spell


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.

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 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.

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But 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.

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India used the lunch interval to reassess their approach after being stunned by the attacking intent of Duckett and Crawley. Siraj then stepped up with a spell that helped shift the momentum in India’s favour.

Former India pacer Varun Aaron lavished praise on Siraj’s character, describing him as the emotional heartbeat of the bowling unit.

‘BIGGER MUSCLE THAN ANYBODY ELSE’

“That’s because Mohammed Siraj has one muscle bigger than anybody else’s—and that’s his heart,” Aaron told JioHotstar.

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.

Siraj, fittingly, went past Jasprit Bumrah to become India’s leading wicket-taker in the Test series in England.

“Siraj has a big heart. And with a heart like that, you can push through pain, push through fatigue, and deliver spells like this. An eight-over burst in the fifth Test, bowled at that intensity—he was touching 140 kph throughout. Watching him charge in was a sight for sore eyes. It was beautiful,” Aaron said.

“As a fast bowler watching another fast bowler putting in the hard yards—knowing exactly what’s at stake in a match like this—it was truly inspiring. That was a brilliant spell by Siraj.”

Aaron also credited Prasidh Krishna for his timely contribution. The young pacer took two wickets in the final over before Tea, removing the dangerous Jamie Smith and trapping Jamie Overton lbw.

He added Gus Atkinson to his tally in the post-Tea session, finishing with figures of 4 for 60 before rain interrupted play.

“We absolutely cannot leave Prasidh Krishna out of this conversation. Those two wickets he picked up in the final over of the second session were crucial—especially with Siraj having just completed an exhausting eight-over spell, and Akash Deep already past the 15-over mark,” Aaron added.

BROAD IN AWE OF SIRAJ

Legendary England pacer Stuart Broad also praised Siraj, highlighting the passion he brings to the field.

“Siraj is one of those bowlers you’d love to play with—someone you want on your side. He may leak the odd boundary, but he bowls with heart, keeps coming at you, delivers good balls, and gets top players out,” Broad told Sky Sports.

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.

– Ends

Published By:

Akshay Ramesh

Published On:

Aug 1, 2025

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