Mohammed Siraj is all that Jasprit Bumrah is not – available, reliable, unbreakable | Cricket news

Getting out of the shadows of legends like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and even Jasprit Bumrah is not an easy task. To make, sculpt your own identity and make a statement that says: “Yes, I’m here too. I can deliver, bleed for my team, play with fire, go to full speed and vibrate the opposition to guarantee a victory ‘- which takes on a huge belief. This is exactly where Mohammed Siraj, Team India, “Mian” – a nickname of his teammates – held out, was solid and engraved his name on English soil.Without making a lot of noise, Siraj has entered the series – with a few expectations, but certainly not as much as those placed on the senior professional Jasprit Bumrah. All eyes were on Bumrah to direct the Bowling attack from India. He had to play only three tests due to the management of the workload, and rightly so. The hopes of India rested largely on his shoulders.

But at the end of the series, the front and the center of the man of each package of strong moments, each newsletter, each social media account was different.Fans’ affection moved to a single man. The team relied on him. He has become the nightmare of the opposition. The volume of Ohhhs and Aahhs has increased, and man delivered – Siraj.At the end of the series, Siraj appeared as the largest porching carrier with 23 hair leathers and was rightly appointed the game player at the Oval. More importantly, he marked his authority – his presence – and without pronouncing a word, declared: I can also direct this rhythm attack. The big point to remember is that everything came in the absence of Bumrah. He said clearly: I can be the one who loads, fierce and fearless.Siraj made its debut in 2020 against Australia when Bumrah, Sharma, Bhuvnehwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami were already established names. Over time, Ishant, Bhuvnehwar and Umesh have faded from the main framework – and this is when Siraj’s climb really started.

Mohammed Siraj was the main standards of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.

He played in Australia, England, the Antilles, South Africa and Bangladesh – has taken counters, rejected the big names, became the captain’s trusted option – but the Siraj who could direct the pack was still missing.Then came the England series – perhaps a script written by Fate – so that Siraj reveals what had been hidden inside for a long time.When Bumrah plays, the objective of the opposition moves automatically to him. But Siraj’s figures tell a different story – it becomes a different beast when Bumrah is not there.Yes, Siraj with and without Bumrah are two different stories.

In the 25 tests he played alongside Bumrah, Siraj took 74 counters at an average of 35.00 and a typing rate of 57.3.But in 16 Bumrah without tests, Siraj claimed 49 counters – an average of 25.1 and a strike rate of 44.3.There is more.In the 13 tests where neither Bumrah nor Shami played, Siraj picked up 43 counters, with an average of 22.83 and hitting all deliveries of 41.2.The reason?

Mohammed Siraj was tried the game player at the oval. (Getty Images)

Perhaps the leadership instincts that are activated when the responsibility falls only on his shoulders – the hunger to be the main man, the fire to be the captain’s bowling player, regardless of the situation or the conditions.In the fifth and last test, Siraj gave him everything. Each part of his heart and his soul. He struck the right areas, beaten strikers with fragiles, deliveries that were unleashed, bullets that bowed, Jaffas, Inswingers and Outside. He kept everyone on the edge of his seats. It was agonizing and surrounded things of the heart. He was exhausted, down but never left.The injuries hit the team, but Siraj remained firm – his strong message in action: “Don’t worry, I’m here”.He played 1,113 deliveries in the series – most by all the bowler – out of the 10 rounds of a series of five game tests. It is a huge workload. But Siraj made the Herculean effort looks routine. And it was not the first time. He had played 953 deliveries in the 2024 series outside Australia.This is why Siraj is the real battle horse of Team India – constantly contesting the theories of “management of the workload”.Then came this last biting day to the oval. England needed 35 points. India needed 4 counters. The pressure was at its peak. All eyes turned to a man – Siraj.When Jamie Overton struck two early borders of Prasidh Krishna, many started to lose hope. But not Siraj. Silently, he took the ball, had a brief conversation with Captain Shubman Gill and returned to his brand.Then came the moment.He overturned the strains of Gus Atkinson. The arms spread. A jump. The celebration of Siuu (just like Cristiano Ronaldo). The teammates rushed. It was Siraj’s scene. His victory. His story. He did not shout. He did not boast. He just presented himself, again and again – confident, coherent, committed.And when he was asked what made him move forward, what kept fire in life, he had only one word: believe.