Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has made a bold prediction for India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj ahead of the fifth Test against England. India and England are set to lock horns in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Oval set to begin from July 31.
The match is extremely crucial for both teams as India desperately need a win to level the series while England need to avoid a defeat to clinch it. Ahead of the all-important encounter, Steyn has backed Mohammed Siraj to pick a five-wicket haul in the match.
“Siraj to take a fifer in 5th Test,” wrote Steyn on his X account.
Siraj is the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the series so far with 14 wickets to his name from four matches (seven innings) at an average of 39.71 and an economy of 4. The right-arm speedster has taken just one five-wicket haul in England so far, which was recorded in the ongoing series at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
His figures of 6/70, which included the big wickets of Joe Root and Ben Stokes, helped India bundle out England for 407 and take a massive 180-run lead. India eventually won the match by 336 runs as Siraj finished the game with figures of 7/127.
With uncertainties around Bumrah’s inclusion in the playing XI, India will depend on their second-most senior bowler to lead the pace attack. There have been questions around Siraj’s effectiveness in the overseas conditions in recent times and the Oval Test provides the perfect opportunity for the speedster to set the record straight.
The return of Akash Deep back into the playing XI will further reinforce the Indian pace attack as he earlier scalped a ten-wicket haul at Edgbaston. As a result, Siraj will have good support from the other end as India aim to claw their way back into the series against a depleted England side, which will be without their captain Ben Stokes.
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