Pacer Mohammed Siraj has written his name into Indian cricket folklore forever. The 31-year-old fast bowler delivered an inspired performance during the fifth Test against England at The Oval. Siraj took nine wickets in the match, including three on the dramatic final day, to steer India to victory in a thriller. The only pacer across both sides to play in all five Tests, Siraj is seemingly always in the heat of the action, be it in positive or negative light. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has now revealed that Siraj is referred to by a nickname in the England dressing room.
“He’s fiery, the England boys call him Mr. Angry, and he has the longest follow through in the history of the game, but he demands your attention,” Hussain wrote in his column on The Daily Mail.
“You could do a montage of the histrionics – down on his knees in despair at Lord’s, the celebrations and dejection when DRS decisions go one way or another.”
“Yes, he plays the pantomime villain at times, a bit like Warney did, and so people love to hate him, but he regularly has that massive smile on his face too,” Hussain added.
Siraj has endured a series full of ups and downs in England this summer. The pacer was left devastated as he was dismissed in extremely unlucky fashion during the third Test at Lord’s, leading to England’s victory.
In the final Test at The Oval, Siraj could’ve well been remembered for a different reason, having made a fielding blunder while trying to dismiss Harry Brook by stepping on the boundary rope despite completing the catch.
However, Siraj instead etched his name into the history books, starring in one of India’s most famous wins of all time. In fact, India’s margin of victory – six runs – is the narrowest in their Test cricket history.
