Sirajical strike: Pacer’s 5-for helps India level England series 2-2 with epic 6-run victory at the Oval

The dark red ball, shaped as if it had only one possible destination, curling through the air at 143 kmh, crashed into the stumps. Mohammed Siraj, who delivered the ball, and India a famous victory at the Oval, floated across the lush green centre of the field, looked up at the clear blue sky and threw his arms aloft.

It had been a lot of hard work, but in the end, it was not the sheer physical effort Siraj put in, not his undeniable skill in delivering the ball with a supple wrist and a perfect seam presentation, not the years of dedication and discipline in honing his craft that got India across the line. It was sheer belief.

India won a Test match they should have lost, for the second time in this series, to cap off a 2-2 result that will feel like a victory.


England have occasionally claimed the moral victory even when they have been on the losing side, but this was not one of those moments of clever wordplay. This was a result that fairly reflected the way the two teams stood after a hard-fought five- Test series.

Remarkably, India have won the two Test matches Jasprit Bumrah did not feature in. Before this series began, it was a widely held belief that India’s attack was just not the same, given the inexperience of the other quicks, when Bumrah was benched by his body. But, this did not take into account Siraj emerging from the cobwebs — not of his own or the team, but of the perception of the wider cricket world — as someone capable of creating destiny.

Siraj had 5 for 104 in the second dig to go with his first innings 4 for 86 and was named the Player of the Match, and he should probably have taken the trophy for player of the series as well, but in this batsmen-dominated world, that honour fell to Shubman Gill.

Siraj won’t mind that. For long, he has been considered the honest workhorse. The hardworking trier who somehow did not have the luck that was needed to ensure the returns that his effort and class warranted. For too long, he has been looked at only as someone who would provide support to Bumrah. For a time, it’s possible he, too, believed that. But in Bumrah’s absences Siraj grew, not just in himself, but in the estimation of cricket fans around the world.

That he put in the overs he did — if he went back-to-back, two entire days would not be enough, even if he bowled from both ends — and was still standing at the end was a miracle.

That Siraj saved some of his quickest deliveries for the last spell showed how deep he was willing and able to dig, how much pain he was ready to endure. Earlier, Siraj had explained that he just loved bowling for his country.

Just how much was on display at the Oval. But, while Siraj will definitely get his space in the sun now, he has actually been performing at a very high level for a long time now. One statistic points to the fact that no fast bowler in the world has taken more wickets in overseas Tests this decade than Siraj. He has been central to India’s most famous wins in the recent past, from Australia, to South Africa to now England. More tellingly, CricViz, who capture more granular ball-by-ball cricket data than anyone else, tells us just how well Siraj stacks up.

Since 2006, only 20 fast bowlers around the world moved the ball both ways consistently. Only 10 averaged a speed of 135kmh or more. Of those, only two hit a good line and length consistently (at least 40% of the time): Bumrah and Siraj.

Bumrah has the status of one of the game’s all-time greats already. Bumrah has the aura that makes groundsmen around the world think twice about the kind of pitches they will serve up to India. Bumrah has batsmen watching hours of video and making specific plans to counter him, only to find that none of that really matters out in the middle. Siraj does not yet inspire anything close to that. But, when you add the size of his heart, his appetite for a scrap, and now, the success he has delivered when most fans thought all was lost, you would think his time has come. All that’s left is for India to accord Siraj the status he has earned. So that he can put his feet up for a moment, look back at what he has already achieved and hold his head up with pride. And then, it’ll become obvious why this drawn series was as good as a win.