Mohammed Siraj‘s never-say-die mentality at the just finished Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has left former England captain David Gower in awe. The Hyderabad pacer bowled each stint with the same tenacity and dedication across all five Test matches.
Siraj took 23 wickets at an average of 32.43 from five Test matches, finishing the series as the highest wicket-taker. In the fifth and final Test match at The Oval, India managed to win by six runs to tie the series 2-2 thanks to a five-wicket haul from the right-arm speedster in the fourth innings.
Siraj’s perseverance and level of fitness over the five games surprised Gower, who even recommended that the England bowlers adopt his diet.
“I want to give England’s bowlers all of that, so I would love to know what he consumes in terms of food, drink, and medication. One of the things that really stood out to me about Siraj was that he was unflinching and had played all five Test matches. However, because seamers had to bowl in those conditions, he bowled more than 30 overs during that England second innings (Oval). Furthermore, he never gave up. Gower told The Free Press Journal, “He never stopped and never seemed to wilt.”
“That is a remarkable indication of his fitness and will to succeed. The fact that England’s bowling has struggled in recent years to keep players healthy and on the pitch really got my attention. Therefore, it’s rare to see the same attack in every game, but this man played all five Test matches, bowled 30 overs in the series’ last innings, and enjoyed it,” he continued.
When the lucky Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable for the second and fifth Test matches in Birmingham and London, Siraj spearheaded the bowling attack. Young people like Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep were always listening to the 31-year-old, who gave them insightful advice on how to get the greatest outcomes.
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