Siraj ripped through England's top and lower order in the second Test at Edgbaston.
Siraj ripped through England's top order, reducing them to 84/5 before a stunning 303-run partnership between Harry Brook (158) and Jamie Smith (184*) brought the hosts back into the game.
However, Siraj returned with the second new ball to wipe out the tail, ending England's innings at 407 in reply to India’s 587.
The right-arm quick eventually returned with the figures of 6/70 in 19.3 overs, becoming only the fourth Indian bowler to claim a five-wicket haul at Edgbaston, joining the likes of Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, and Ishant Sharma in an elite club.
After the day’s play, Siraj reflected on his performance and showcased his expressive side again.
“It’s unbelievable because I was waiting for a long time. I have been bowling well but not getting wickets. I have only got four-wicket hauls here, so getting six here is very special. The wicket was very slow but when you are given a responsibility to lead the attack, my aim was to not try too much and just bowl in the right area and bowl with discipline. My mindset was to keep it tight and not give away runs. [On an approach without Bumrah] It’s Akash Deep’s third or fourth match, same for Prasidh, so I was just focused on staying consistent and building pressure. I feel like trying different things, but I have to stay consistent,” Siraj said in a video posted on bcci.tv.
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the onus was on Siraj to lead an inexperienced pace attack and he did a fabulous job to put India in the driver’s seat.
Responding to the same, Siraj said: “I love responsibility, I love the challenge. [On the match situation] We are quite ahead right now but the plan is to get as many runs on the board because we know their attacking mindset. [On the pitch] Day by day, the pitch is slowing down more. If you keep bowling in one area… If you start leaking runs, it’s hard to stop that. We saw that with Smith and Brook. Patience is very important here.”
Coming to the match, the tourists ended the third day at 64/1, extending their lead in the second innings to 244 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal (28) was the only dismissed batter, while KL Rahul (28) and Karun Nair (7) remained unbeaten at stumps.