london: Mohammed Siraj’s admiration for Jasprit Bumrah is well-known, and the genial Hyderabadi said he sorely missed the pace spearhead’s presence in his hour of glory following India’s victory in the fifth Test against England here.
Siraj’s nine-wicket haul in the game not only earned him the ‘Man of the Match Award’ but also brought him accolades from his legion of fans.
“Every batsman, every bowler (who played the Test), hat’s off to him... and the way we came back, crazy man. I miss Jassi (Bumrah) bhai because had he been there, it would have been special. I believe in Jassi bhai and myself,” said an emotional Siraj in a video posted by BCCI.
Bumrah did not play the final Test to manage his workload and was subsequently released from the Indian squad after playing the fourth game.
Siraj seemed determined on the final day after dropping a catch of Harry Brook on Sunday. Every ball he bowled in the morning session on Monday tormented the English batters.
“To be honest, the emotions I have right now (after the win), I cannot describe them because yesterday (Sunday) I dropped the catch. When I was going to bed (after Day 4), I was only thinking about ‘how could I drop it’. Had I taken it, we wouldn’t have had to come out and play on Monday.”