India pacer Mohammed Siraj’s lion-hearted effort during the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England continues to earn him plaudits.

Siraj put his body on the line and played all five games in the hard-fought series, finishing 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 stepped up, often stretching his spells to ensure smoother rotation. With Jasprit Bumrah playing only three Tests to manage his workload, the 31-year-old took on the mantle of leading India’s pace attack.

On the final day of the Oval Test, the hosts were 35 runs away from chasing a 374-run target, with four wickets in hand. However, Siraj once again lifted his game under pressure, returning with five wickets to propel the visitors to a narrow six-run victory, thereby ending the series in a 2-2 draw.

Speaking to IANS, India seamer Akash Deep heaped praise on Siraj, hailing him as the 'energyhouse of the team'.

“Siraj bhai is the energyhouse of the team. Everyone will be tired but not him. On the last day at The Oval, he took responsibility as the leader of the pace attack and delivered. Credit to Siraj bhai and Prasidh for bowling their hearts out,” Akash said.

Mohammed Siraj’s heroics overshadowed what Akash Deep did with the bat in India’s second innings at The Oval.

Coming in as a nightwatchman, Akash smashed 66 runs off 94 balls with the help of 12 boundaries. His 107-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal proved crucial in extending India’s lead beyond 350.

“This innings will be very close to my heart, with the situation that we were in,” Akash said. “Yashasvi helped me a lot with the batting — he made sure I played fewer balls and guided me well, so credit to him too.”

The Bengal pacer also made a mark with the ball, returning with 13 wickets in three Tests, including a 10-wicket haul in Birmingham.

Akash is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. “I have been advised rest but I have started my practice and training. I want to be properly fit and when I am ready, I will join the team,” he said.

“I am working on my fitness and stamina, trying to bowl as many overs as I can. That is the area I need to improve, so bowling long spells with pace is my key for now,” he added.