India seamer Mohammed Siraj was at the top of his game during the five-match Test series against England. After Shubman Gill and his team achieved an exciting six-run victory in the fifth Test at The Oval, the series concluded in a 2-2 draw. On the final day of the fifth Test, England required just 35 runs for victory with four wickets in hand. But Siraj and Prasidh Krishna turned the tide, triggering a collapse that saw England bowled out seven runs short of the target.
When England required seven runs and had one wicket remaining, Chris Woakes, who was batting with one hand due to an injury, was standing at the non-striker's end with Gus Atkinson at the strike. To prevent an injured Woakes from taking the strike, Atkinson took a single on the final delivery of the preceding over.
Millions of hearts began to beat as Siraj arrived to bowl the next over. Atkinson had hit a six and was batting at 17. For India, the situation was extremely tense, but what transpired next became the series' most memorable moment.
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Siraj struck with the very first ball, shattering Atkinson’s off-stump to seal a six-run win for India. Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who was officiating the match, later took to Instagram to share a picture capturing that decisive moment.
"So lucky to witness this ball from the best seat in the house," wrote Dharmasena in the caption.
Siraj had one of his best performances in Test cricket during the England tour, topping the wicket-charts with 23 wickets and enduring the series like a warrior for more than 185 overs without faltering or growing weary.
With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah featuring in only three Tests due to workload management, Siraj stepped up to unleash his trademark ‘Miyan Magic’ when his beloved ‘Jassi Bhai’ took a breather. Remarkably, Siraj was the only Indian bowler — and just the second in the entire series — to play all five Tests.
Siraj achieved his career-highest ratings of 674 points in the ICC Men's Test Bowler Rankings on Wednesday, following his outstanding performance in the Oval Test.
In the most recent ICC Men's Test Bowler Rankings, Siraj, who was named Player of the Match in the fifth Test, rose 12 spots to take 15th place. After delivering game-winning performances in the final Test match against England, Siraj has achieved his highest-ever rating in the Test rankings.
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