India star Mohammed Siraj was dismissed in a heartwrenching manner as the ball tickled onto the stumps after he defended a delivery bowled by England's Shoaib Bashir in the Lord's Test. The incident ended India's heroic run chase in an epic battle at the 'Home of Cricket', with Siraj looking completely distraught. It took the marquee pacer almost a day to get over the incident. After the heartbreak on Monday, it was on Tuesday that Siraj shared his first reaction to the defeat, sharing an emotional post for fans.
"Some matches stay with you, not for the outcome, but for what they teach," Siraj captioned the post he shared on X and Instagram.
Though Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj fought extreme odds to keep India's hopes alive on the final day of the Lord's Test, former India captain Anil Kumble believes a crucial tactical misstep at the end may have cost the tourists a miraculous win.
Speaking after India's dramatic 23-run loss, Kumble reflected on Jadeja's heroic effort but said that exposing tailender Mohammed Siraj to a full over from Shoaib Bashir was a decision that backfired at a critical moment.
“If someone had to take a risk and get out, it should have been Jadeja, not Siraj,” Kumble said, questioning the choice to let Siraj face three deliveries when only 23 runs were needed for victory. “Allowing a full over to Bashir at such a stage was a misstep.”
Jadeja walked in during the sixth over of Day 5 with India reeling at 82, chasing 193. He batted with calm and control, slowly building the total as wickets kept tumbling around him. His unbeaten 61 nearly pulled off one of the most improbable chases in recent Test memory, before Siraj was bowled trying to survive an over from Bashir — the same bowler Jadeja had kept off strike effectively throughout much of his innings.
The dismissal stirred memories of India's narrow defeat to Pakistan in Chennai in 1999 for Kumble. “It reminded me of that Test when Javagal Srinath was bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq while supporting Sachin Tendulkar, who had almost pulled off a miracle. It's a similar feeling,” Kumble recalled.
With IANS Inputs