Published: Jul 04, 2025, 06:16 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 04, 2025, 06:16 PM (IST)
Jasprit Bumrah was not part of the team, and there was a lack of experience in the bowling attack. This raised a big question that who would lead the bowling unit? This happened during the India vs Australia Test match in January 2021 at the Gabba in Brisbane, a ground where Australia hadn’t lost a Test in 32 years.
About four and a half years later, the same question came up during the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham a venue where India hadn’t won a single match in 56 years. Just like back then, it was Mohammed Siraj who stepped up once again. On Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test, the star Indian pacer dismissed England’s two top batters, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, in back-to-back deliveries.
Siraj, who faced criticism for his poor bowling in the first innings of the Leeds Test, made a strong comeback in the second innings. Siraj continued this rhythm in Edgbaston and shook England’s batting. The star pacer, who has become famous as ‘DSP Siraj’ in Indian cricket, took the wicket of opener Jack Crowley on the second day of the match. Then on the third day, Siraj made an impressive start of the Day 3 play as he dismissed England’s best batter Joe Root and Ben Stokes in the second over itself.
Siraj’s first victim was England’s star batsman Joe Root, who scored more than 13 thousand runs, who had handled the innings amid the fall of wickets at the end of the second day. Root could add only 4 runs to his score of the first day and was caught out by the wicketkeeper on the leg side on Siraj’s ball. Then came captain Ben Stokes, who had the big responsibility of handling the team. But Stokes would not have even thought that Siraj would welcome him like this. The Indian pacer bowled a bouncer to Stokes on the very first ball and Stokes was shocked. He failed in trying to leave the ball and keeper Rishabh Pant took an easy catch after it hit his bat. Stokes, who scored more than 6700 runs for England, returned to the pavilion without opening his account.
