Team India head coach Ravi Shastri couldn’t hold back his excitement after Mohammed Siraj scripted a stunning comeback for Team India on Day 5 of the fifth Test against England at The Kia Oval in London.
Speaking on air, Shastri said, ‘Siraj no longer be Deputy Superindentent of Police, he will get a higher promotion’.
The moment occurred as the right-arm speedster came on to bowl his 31st over of the innings and flattened Gus Atkinson’s off-stump to send Team India and its fans ballistic at The Oval. The 31-year-old had also completed his five-wicket haul in the process as Team India scripted a stunning comeback to level the series.
The Hyderabad-born cricketer was notably appointed as the DSP of Hyderabad police last year and has been referred to as DSP by the cricketing fraternity and fans.
“When I woke up today, I thought I could do it” – Mohammed Siraj
Having won the Player of the Match award for his nine wickets in the series, Siraj disclosed that he downloaded a picture on his phone named ‘believe’, denoting that he trusted himself to seal the victory for India.
“I feel amazing because we fought hard from day one til now. My plan was to hit my areas consistently and build pressure. Everything from there was a bonus. When I woke up today, I thought I could do it. I downloaded a picture from Google saying ‘believe.’ I thought the Brook drop was a game-changing moment. If it had been taken, we might not have come out today.”
In the process, Siraj has also finished the series with the most wickets, picking up 23 scalps in nine innings at 32.43. He is also the only Indian pacer to play all five Tests in the tour.