Even the best thrilling film writers will be challenged by the complexities of the India-England five-match Test series. There were constant highs and lows, some of which were so powerful that they took some time to fully register. England's head coach, Brendon McCullum, chose to add to the already intense action on the cricket pitch. After India's exciting six-run victory in the fifth Test at The Oval to level the five-match series 2-2, the former captain of New Zealand reportedly sought to make a last-minute change to his Player of the Series selection, moving from Shubman Gill to Mohammed Siraj.
Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik made the revelation while commentating on Cricbuzz. He described how Siraj's aggressive bowling performance on the last day completely changed the outcome of the match in just one hour.
“If the match had gotten over yesterday (Day 4), Shubman Gill was the man of the series,” Karthik said. “Brendon McCullum had said Shubman Gill. And obviously, Atherton [Mike Atherton] was the one doing the presentation. So, he had all the questions ready. Everything was for Shubman Gill.”
However, McCullum quickly changed his mind as the final morning progressed and Siraj tore through England's lower order, helping to bowl the hosts out for 367 in pursuit of 374.
“Baz McCullum turned it around in a matter of half an hour, 40 minutes — to Mohammed Siraj,” Karthik revealed. “He even spoke about him in the post-match with Sky Sports — about how he enjoyed watching Siraj bowl and all the eloquent things he had to say about him.”
After a demanding bilateral series, the opposing coaches in England select two players to win Player of the Series. The broadcasters accepted McCullum and Gautam Gambhir's decision, anticipating that the match would conclude on Day 4. Gambhir chose Harry Brook, whose scorching batting almost cost India the match, while the former chose Shubman Gill, who amassed 754 runs in five Tests.
McCullum praised Siraj's tenacity and passion in the post-game interview with Sky Sports: “He’s got that spirit you want to see in a fast bowler. Every time he had the ball in hand, there was energy. You could see how much it meant to him. It was one of those spells that can change a series, and today, it really did.”
Especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj was instrumental throughout the series and finished with statistics of 5 for 69 in the fourth innings. His brilliance on Day 5 was crucial in ending England's last stand and ensuring India's incredible comeback victory.
The 30-year-old pacer was praised by Karthik for stepping up when India needed him the most. “This is a five-Test match series where bat has dominated the ball,” Karthik said. “It’s been hard work. And this boy has come in running every day of the series, when given the ball, with his heart out... When Bumrah didn’t play, Siraj stepped up and showed what it takes to win.”
“At the start of the series, I actually said, in Australia, he bowled better with the old ball than with the new ball. But Mohamed Siraj has come out here to England. And when he has been the head of the pack, which means everybody was speaking about how Jasprit Bumrah is important. When Jasprit Bumrah plays, India should win. Otherwise, they are going to find it hard. And eventually, they ended up winning 2 Test matches. Both of which he didn't play. And it's obviously no reflection on Bumrah. Because he is such a genius that you rely so much on Jasprit Bumrah for them to do the goods. But the fact is that when he wasn't around, Mohamed Siraj stepped up. Showed what it takes to win. You know, I think he can now rise beyond,” Karthik added.
