UNSPLASH
When Mohammed Siraj woke up on Monday morning he knew he had to lead from the front if India were to complete a sensational come-from-behind win in the fifth and final Test. With lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah missing the series finale as part of workload management, Siraj had to shepherd the bulk of responsibilities. To accomplish that, Siraj searched for inspiration.
He googled for wallpapers that could motivate and the one that struck a chord was an image of Cristiano Ronaldo with his index finger pointing up at the word ‘Believe’. Siraj, who is a self-confessed fan of the Portuguese great and even celebrates his wickets like the striker does after scoring a goal, downloaded the image instantly. He kept looking at it constantly until reaching the ground, reminding himself to ‘believe’ he could help script a famous win for India.
That immense self-belief, which has turned Siraj from being the son of an autorickshaw driver to one of the most talked-about fast bowlers in the world today, was visible on a riveting Monday morning at The Oval. Despite having played all the matches of the series and his body battered and bruised, Siraj gave it his all in one final thrust that was spellbinding to watch.
Every ball he delivered in 4.1 overs he bowled on the morning had a wicket written on it. Batter after batter struggled to make contact with his out-swingers. And when it swung in, they struggled to handle its pace and sharp inwards trajectory. Siraj was in his zone and, for a change, was rewarded with three wickets, taking his match tally to 5/104.