India pacer Mohammed Siraj drew lavish praise from England’s star batter Harry Brook and skipper Ben Stokes for his lion-hearted effort throughout the five Tests of the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Siraj put his body on the line and played all games in the hard-fought series, returning as the leading wicket-taker. His grit was evident in the 1113 deliveries he bowled, picking up 23 wickets at an average of 32.43.

When India needed crucial wickets, Siraj lifted his game, often stretching his spells to aid smoother rotation. With Jasprit Bumrah playing only three Tests to manage his workload, the 31-year-old took on the mantle of spearheading India’s pace attack.

On the final day of the fifth Test at The Oval, the hosts were 35 runs away from chasing a 374-run target, with four wickets in hand. However, Siraj once again stepped up under pressure, enabling the visitors to secure a thrilling six-run victory. This outcome left Brook and England dejected as the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Brook, who was declared England’s Player of the Series, commented on Siraj’s deserving success, saying, “We came into the day very confident. We had two very good players out there, and I thought we were going to easily see it home. But the way the Indians fought back and the way Siraj bowled, it deserved every success."

“Siraj has played five Test matches in a row, bowling 85mph every delivery. He’s had a phenomenal series, and I respect what he’s done this series a lot. Not able to win it is devastating. Happy to contribute as much as I have," Brook added.

Stokes lauded Siraj’s consistency and competitive spirit, stating: “I’ve always had great respect and admiration for Mohammed Siraj as a competitor. He just keeps coming and coming and coming. You know that he’s always going to be in the fight with you. Again, just another example of what it means.”

“This game in particular just kept going and going and going. Oppositions and all that kind of stuff. I’ve always had a lot of admiration and respect for the way that Mohamed Siraj goes about his cricket and what he does and how he takes it on," he added in the post-match presser.

Reflecting on the series’ intensity, Harry Brook emphasized the commitment from players on both sides.

“It’s been an awesome series, a very intense series. After every game, we’ve all been absolutely knackered. We’ve put everything on the line, haven’t left anything out there," Brook said.

“It’s been awesome to be part of, even that finish there. I know we are on the wrong side of it, but it’s such a good advert for Test cricket," he further remarked.

(With inputs from ANI)