Mohammed Siraj’s 6-wicket haul puts India in commanding position against England at Edgbaston
Mohammed Siraj claimed 6 for 70 in England's first innings at Edgbaston, marking his best bowling figures in England. Backed by solid batting and expert praise, Siraj’s performance helped India gain a strong foothold in the second Test.
Hyderabad: Hyderabadi Mohammed Siraj, who returned with dream figures of six for 70 in the England first innings of the second Test at Egbaston on Friday, said that the feeling was unbelievable.
“I’d been waiting for a moment like this for over a year. I always bowled well but wickets didn’t come. Today, the morning session felt good but still no breakthrough—so these six wickets are really special,” Siraj said in a chat with JioHotstar after the third day’s play.
“The pitch was slow, but I knew I had a responsibility. I haven’t played too many matches recently, but with experience, I knew not to try too much. Just keep bowling in the right areas. That builds pressure and changes the atmosphere. I’ve played 38 Tests, so my aim was to bring stability,” he said.
“With 600 runs on the board, I didn’t want to go hunting for wickets—I just wanted to be consistent. I love responsibility, I love challenges. I’ve seen many challenges in life, and I feel I perform best when there’s a burden on my shoulders,” Siraj said
For his part, former India pace bowler and JioStar expert said the difference in Siraj’s numbers when Bumrah isn’t playing was drastic—it showed he relished leadership.
“Like Shubman Gill with the bat, he enjoys taking charge of the bowling unit. I’d say he had a bit of luck early on today—luck earned from his consistent efforts in the last match,” Varun said
“He stuck to his strengths—setting batters up with the away-going delivery and then using that sharp in-dipper, which has become one of his biggest weapons. That’s now Siraj’s best bowling performance in England: 6 for 70. Brilliant execution,” he said.
Former England international and JioStar expert Jonathan Trott said yes they could talk about some questionable captaincy and bowling lengths, but credit to the English batsmen.
“Then, the way India came out shows they clearly had a discussion in the dressing room about intent. They wanted to be positive and ensure they got runs on the board to bowl England out,” Varun said.
“They desperately needed a big partnership—and Harry Brook and Jamie Smith delivered. But let’s not forget, there were six ducks in that innings—six! That’s a huge number. This partnership made up the bulk of England’s runs. Brilliant batting under pressure—they had their backs against the wall and came out swinging,” he said.
“Yes, some of the short-pitched bowling played to their strengths, but this was still one of the best partnerships I’ve seen in Test cricket. Unfortunately, the rest of the line-up didn’t step up. Without those six ducks, we might’ve had a much tighter contest, but as things stand, India are way, way ahead,” Varun explained.
