Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj reflected on the heartbreaking moment at Lord's after scripting a memorable win for the tourists over England at the Kia Oval Ground in London. The 31-year-old recalled Ravindra Jadeja's words at Lord's about how he should remember his late father and the efforts he has put to reach here.
The Hyderabad-born cricketer was crestfallen after the ball dribbled onto the stumps despite defending it off the middle of the bat as India lost by 19 runs. But Siraj proved to be a hero on Day 5 of the fifth Test at The Kia Oval as his five wickets fashioned a famous six-run victory.
Speaking to Sky Sports' Michael Atherton by reflecting on the dismissal, he responded:
"It was a very heartbreaking moment. Tab Jaddu bhai ek hee baar bol rahe they, apne bat se middle karke khel aur zyada tension mat le. One word he told me, ki apne father ke baare mein soch, itni mehnat karke yahan tak pauncha tha. Unfortunately, it happened." (It was a very heartbreaking moment. That time, Jaddu only told me, hit the ball with the middle of the bat as much as possible and don't worry. He also told me think about your late father and what you've had to sacrifice to get here.)
The star pacer's father had tragically died before his Test debut in 2020.
"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."
In the process, Siraj has also finished the series with the most wickets, picking up 23 scalps in nine innings at 32.43. He is also the only Indian pacer to play all five Tests in the tour.
