Mohammed Siraj finished with the most wickets in the just concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy versus England. He played all five Tests and took 23 wickets at an average of 32.43. His five wickets in the final Test at The Oval guided India to a stunning six-run victory. The somewhat inexperienced Shubman Gill-led team tied the series 2-2 against a formidable England team.
Siraj has received high plaudits from experts and fans for his outstanding display of grit and commitment during the exciting Test series. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar joined the list of gurus who praised Siraj for his outstanding performances against Ben Stokes and co.
Tendulkar praised Siraj’s mentality and approach, saying he attacks batters regardless of the match conditions. The Master Blaster also stated that if the in-form Joe Root is given the choice between Siraj and someone who bowls gently, the former England captain will go with the latter.
“Unbelievable. Superb approach. I love his attitude. I love the spring in his steps. If you don’t look at the scoreboard and just see his body language, you will not be able to make out if he has taken five wickets or none at all. Body language is same. Attitude and approach are the same. So a fast bowler is constantly in your face like that. No batter likes it. If you ask Joe Root, who is a world-class batter and scored so many runs, would he like to face Siraj or will he prefer someone else who is bowling to him quietly, he will opt for the latter. Because Siraj is always at your face. He will do something or the other. So that is what Siraj is all about,” Tendulkar said while analysing the Hyderabad pacer’s performance.
Tendulkar was especially amazed by Siraj’s ability to bowl at 90 mph on the final day of the series, despite bowling over 1000 balls.
“He has bowled over 1000 deliveries in the series and his approach even on the last day. I could hear the commentators saying that he clocked 90 mph in the last few deliveries on the final day of the fifth Test. So when a fast bowler bowls 1000-plus deliveries in a series and still clocks 90 mph in the end stages, that shows how big a heart he has.”
Sachin Tendulkar also noted some of Siraj’s losses throughout the series, such as being out in the final stages of the Lord’s Test and dropping Harry Brook on Day 4 of the Oval Test. The former India captain stated that he believed Siraj would end the series strongly.
