Mohammed Siraj stepped up as India’s pace spearhead in Bumrah’s absence, delivering a fiery 23-wicket series and cementing his place as the leader of the attack.
This was the summer Mohammed Siraj came of age. In a gripping Test series between India and England, it wasn’t just his raw pace or his wicket tally that stood out. It was his presence, his resilience, and the way he shouldered responsibility when the team needed a leader. With Jasprit Bumrah rested, India turned to Siraj to lead their pace battery. And he responded with fire.
Siraj finished the five-match series with 23 wickets, the most by any fast bowler. More importantly, he bowled at the crucial moments. When the new ball didn’t swing, he hustled. When the game drifted, he struck. When pressure built, he thrived. This was not just a good series. It was a statement.
Yet it had started in heartbreak.
From Lord’s Heartbreak to The Oval Redemption
At Lord’s, in the second Test, Siraj faced one of the cruellest endings of his career. With India hanging on for a draw and just one wicket in hand, he was battling gamely at the crease. Then came a bizarre and bitter twist. A ball clipped his bat, rolled gently back onto the stumps, and ended the match in England’s favour. Siraj stood frozen, stunned. It was a crushing finish that summed up the pain of the moment.
There was more disappointment ahead.
In the final Test at The Oval, Siraj thought he had pulled off a brilliant boundary catch to dismiss the dangerous Harry Brook. But replays showed his foot had grazed the boundary cushion. Brook survived, and went on to hammer a commanding century that kept England in the contest. Siraj could only watch, visibly frustrated.
But he did not let the moment define him. He turned it into fuel.
Later in that innings, Siraj came storming back with the ball. He finished with 5 for 104, dismantling England’s middle order with late swing and sharp seam. He struck at vital junctures, halting their momentum and swinging the match in India’s favour. Though he did not dismiss Brook, he set the tone and created the pressure that led to breakthroughs at the other end. When England needed just 35 runs with three wickets in hand, it was Siraj who came roaring back to clean up the tail and shut the door on what looked like another English comeback.
Carrying the Attack: Siraj’s Leadership Without Bumrah
Siraj didn’t just take wickets. He carried the attack.
With no Bumrah around to lead the line, Siraj took the mantle with pride. He bowled long spells, returned for fresh ones late in the day, and handled the ball like a man on a mission. His energy never dipped, his commitment never wavered.
Even the crowd followed his lead. At key moments when England were charging, Siraj turned to the Indian fans in the stands and motioned for them to raise their voices. He fed off their energy, but more impressively, he summoned it. He was no longer just playing for India. He was conducting the tempo of the entire Indian effort.
He is no longer the support act. He is the mainstay.
The New Face of India’s Fast-Bowling Future
From the narrow lanes of Hyderabad to the heart of India’s pace arsenal, Siraj’s journey has always been about hunger and heart. But in this series, he added something more. Leadership. Consistency. Authority.
India’s future in Test cricket will demand fast bowlers who can endure, adapt and lead. With 23 wickets in this series and the full trust of his captain and team behind him, Mohammed Siraj has shown he is ready for that responsibility.
The shirt still says 73. But now, it stands for the man at the front of India’s fast-bowling future. And the future is loud, fierce and very much in motion.