NEW DELHI — Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar said he loves Mohammed Siraj’s attitude, adding that the fast bowler doesn’t get the credit he deserves. On day five of The Oval, Siraj picked a sensational 5-104 as India levelled the five-match series 2-2 with a six-run win over England.
England had no answers to Siraj’s accuracy, as he tore through the lower order with a burst of three wickets while conceding only nine runs in 25 balls on the fifth day. Fittingly, Siraj sealed victory for India by knocking over Gus Atkinson’s off-stump to enter the rich Indian cricketing folklore.
“Unbelievable. Superb approach. I love his attitude. I love the spring in his legs. For a fast bowler to be constantly in your face like that, no batsman will like it. And the approach he maintained until the end on the last day; I could also hear commentators saying he bowled around 90mph (145kph) on the last day, after having bowled more than 1,000 deliveries in the series. That shows his courage and big heart,” said Tendulkar in a video on his Reddit account.
Siraj also finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets coming at an average of 32.43, while bowling a whopping 1113 deliveries. “The way he started on the last day was remarkable, and he has always been instrumental, playing a key role whenever we need him, whenever we want him to deliver that knockout punch. He’s been able to do that consistently in the past, and so was the case in this series. The way he picked all those wickets and performed, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” added Tendulkar.
Siraj became the standout bowler in a series where Jasprit Bumrah played only three games due to workload management, especially after sustaining a back injury in the Sydney Test against Australia in January this year. In three games against England, Bumrah picked 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls.
Tendulkar came out in support of Bumrah, saying that the Test matches he missed was ‘just a coincidence’. “I know people are discussing a number of things – jo Tests khela nahi, voh hum jeete (India won the Tests he didn’t feature in) and all that. To me, that’s just a coincidence, to be honest.”
“Bumrah started really well, got five wickets in the first Test. He didn’t play the second, but in the third and fourth innings again at Lord’s, he took 5 wickets. So, out of 3 Tests he played, he has picked five wickets twice.”
“The quality of Bumrah is exceptional. It’s unbelievable what he has been able to do so far. To me, he has been a consistent performer without any doubt. I would put him right at the top with anyone else,” concluded Tendulkar. — IANS
