The heart, heat and craft that make Mohammed Siraj, India’s marathon man in the England series
In an inspired spell around mid-day, Siraj cherrypicked England’s two most solid batsmen and put them on his plate. (AP)
There was this nice little moment after Mohammed Siraj, in his follow through, had failed to hold on to a booming straight drive by Harry Brook just after tea. Siraj seemed hurt as he tried to shake-off the pain by jerking his hand.
A worried captain Shubman Gill, from mid-on, ran towards his injured bowler and accompanied him till his run-up. He walked with him, held his hand and massaged his fingers. No one knows the importance of Siraj to this side more than the skipper. On his hand depended India’s fortunes and it was the magic in those long skilful fingers that kept India in the game and could help the skipper write a new chapter in Indian cricket.