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Ex-India coach has lauded Siraj’s legendary ball against Crawley in the fifth Test at the Oval, bagging a six-run victory over England and series draw for India.
Zak Crawley was dismissed by a yorker from Mohammed Siraj (Picture credit: Screengrab from X/AP)
Former India head coach Greg Chappell has said that Mohammed Siraj’s delivery that dismissed Zak Crawley in England’s second innings of the fifth Test at the Oval on Sunday, August 3, was a delivery that legends produce and not mere pacers. Siraj played a match-winning role in India’s six-run win at the Oval.
Siraj played all five Tests of the just-concluded drawn series against England and bowled 185.3 overs in total, picking up 23 wickets in all.
Siraj turned the game on its head by taking three wickets to guide India to a memorable six-run victory over England and draw the series 2-2.
In the 14th over of England’s second innings, Siraj bowled a wobbly seam yorker and Crawley was late on bringing the bat down. The ball went on to hit the off stump and give India a crucial breakthrough.
“His (Siraj’s) dismissal of Crawley in the second innings, a ball that tailed late and hit the base of off, was the kind of delivery that legends produce, not just pacers. It wasn’t just about speed or swing. It was about understanding, execution and precision,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
“Siraj’s story is one of resilience, physical, mental and emotional. Here’s a man who has carried grief publicly, who wears his emotions on his sleeve and who channels all of it into his cricket,” Chappell added.
Siraj’s nine-wicket haul in the match not just earned him the ‘Man of the Match Award’ but brought him accolades from his legion of fans as well.
Chappel has said that what impressed him about Siraj was not just the effort, but how he evolved over the series.
“What impressed me most wasn’t the effort, which was immense, but the evolution. He started as a bowler with passion. He ended as a bowler with passion and purpose. That’s the difference between a player and a leader,” Chappell wrote.
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