 "Mohammed Siraj took a fifer on Day 5 of the Oval Test. AP")
As the chips were down and yet another hard-to-take defeat was hovering over Team India, Mohammed Siraj stood tall and conquered the most crucial phase of the fifth Test. The pacer delivered a spectacular spell on the morning of the fifth day and snatched the victory for his team from the jaws of defeat. On the back of a fifer in the second innings, and a four-wicket haul in the first, Siraj was adjudged the player of the match award at The Oval.
Having won India the Oval Test by six runs, Siraj’s name has become a whirlwind on social media, where, along with the members of the cricket community, even the top individuals of Indian politics have come out to acknowledge his effort. Siraj’s performance made Congress leader Shashi Tharoor apologise for doubting the ability of the new-age side. Tharoor urged Virat Kohli to come back from retirement at one stage in the series when India’s backs were against the wall.
Owaisi congratulates Siraj in special Hyderabadi way
Asaduddin Owaisi, another prominent politician, was also impressed with the sheer brilliance of Siraj and congratulated him in a typical Hyderabadi style.
He shared a GIF of Siraj celebrating a wicket and wrote: “Always a winner @mdsirajofficial! As we say in Hyderabadi, poora khol diye Pasha!”
Noting the post made by Owasi, Siraj reverted with a, “Thank you so much sir always cheering for me."
Siraj, who has often remained in the shadows of Jasprit Bumrah, rose to the occasion to rescue India more than once in the recently concluded series against England. While the aspect of workload management often goes hand in hand with Bumrah, Siraj does not carry any concern of the sort. Regardless of the conditions, he kept bowling and bowling and eventually finished the affair as the leading wicket-taker. With 23 wickets in five games, Siraj has delivered a huge statement that he can no longer be looked down upon as a second fiddle in the bowling lineup and is ready to shoulder the responsibility of team India alongside Bumrah.