Former England captain David Gower hailed Mohammed Siraj for his 'unstinting' spells in the five-Test series that England, playing an influential role in securing a series draw. Gower cheekily stated that he would love to give all those to England bowlers that Siraj eats and drinks.
The 31-year-old finished the England tour as the highest wicket-taker, picking up 23 scalps in nine innings at 32.43 including a fifer and six-for. He was particularly instrumental in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval where he bowled relentlessly in both innings. Siraj took a five wicket-haul in England's fourth innings as the hosts collapsed from 301/4 to 367 all out in pursuit of 374.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, the Kent-born former cricketer observed how England's bowlers have struggled with fitness over the years, finding it difficult to keep them fit. Hence, he hailed Siraj's fitness level and the single-minded determination to win.
"For Siraj, one of the things that struck me was he has played all five Tests and was unstinting. Yet, he bowled more than 30 overs in that England second innings (Oval) because seamers had to bowl in those conditions. And he never gave up. He never stopped and never seemed to wilt."
"That's an extraordinary testament to his determination to win and fitness. The thing that struck me was England's bowling has had problems over the last few years in keeping people fit and on the field. So, you rarely get the same attack coming out game after game and yet, here was a man who played all five Test matches, finished bowling 30 overs in the final innings of the series and loved it. So I would love to know what he takes, what he eats and what he drinks because I want to give all that to England's bowlers."
When I woke up today, I thought I could do it" - Mohammed Siraj
Having won the Player of the Match award for his nine wickets in the series, Siraj disclosed that he downloaded a picture on his phone named 'believe', denoting that he trusted himself to seal the victory for India.
"I feel amazing because we fought hard from day one til now. My plan was to hit my areas consistently and build pressure. Everything from there was a bonus. When I woke up today, I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying 'believe.' I thought the Brook drop was a game-changing moment. If it had been taken, we might not have come out today."
He was also the only Indian pacer to play all five Tests in the tour.
