India pacer Mohammed Siraj shared that he had set the word ‘Believe’ as his phone wallpaper for motivation ahead of his match-winning performance on Day 5 of the fifth Test against England at The Oval. The right-arm seamer played a key role in India’s dramatic six-run victory, taking three of the final four wickets to help level the series 2-2.
With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Siraj led the bowling attack and sparked India’s first-innings comeback with a four-wicket haul. He continued his fine form in the final innings, dismissing Zak Crawley with a yorker and Ollie Pope with a sharp nip-backer before delivering a crucial spell on the last day.
Siraj took nine wickets in the match, finishing as the series’ top wicket-taker and earning Player of the Match. He said he never lost belief, staying motivated despite England’s strong position in the chase.
“From Day One till here, everyone fought hard, and then this result, we are very, very happy. The plan is simple, to keep it consistently in the right areas and everything would take care of itself.”
“I woke up, took a screenshot out of Google, saying ‘Believe’, and stuck to it, I put a believe wallpaper on my phone. That dropped catch was a critical moment, had I taken that catch, it would be done much earlier,” Mohammed Siraj said during the post-match presentation.
Shubman Gill Praises Siraj’s Match-Winning Impact After 5th Test Victory
India captain Shubman Gill commended Mohammed Siraj for his impactful showing on Day 5 and throughout the series. The right-arm pacer proved to be a major threat in the final moments of the match, consistently challenging England’s lower order with his outswingers and sharp nip-backers using the old ball.
Taking full advantage of the overcast conditions, Siraj played a key role in keeping India’s hopes alive and fittingly took the final wicket to seal the win.
“Having people like Siraj and Prasidh make captaincy easy. The idea was to keep the pressure on. Pressure makes people do what they don’t want to do. He is a captain’s dream. Every captain wants a player like him,” Gill said during the post-match presentation.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
