Mohammad Siraj, the leader of India's pace bowling attack, once again proved his worth in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. He took a six-wicket haul (6/70) in the first innings of the Edgbaston Test against England.
In the second Test, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith appeared to be taking the game away from India in an exceptional counterattacking partnership of 303 runs. However, the introduction of the second new ball changed the entire course of the game in India's favour.
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In the final Test, where Bumrah was rested, Siraj took 3 wickets, dismissing Pope, Root and Bethell, when India were defending their below-par first innings total.
In the second inning of the final Test, Siraj took a fifer to seal a memorable win for India. England at one point were cruising towards victory with Harry Brook and Joe Root scoring a century each, but Siraj's marvellous bowling to clear out the middle order and tail, helped India clinch the game and draw level in the series.
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Does Siraj perform better in Tests with or without Bumrah?
The numbers suggest that Siraj has performed significantly better in the absence of Bumrah.
| Innings | Wickets | Bowling Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| With Jasprit Bumrah | 47 | 74 | 35.00 |
| Without Jasprit Bumrah | 29 | 48 | 25.72 |
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What did Mohammad Siraj say about leading India's pace attack without Bumrah?
Siraj provided India a big advantage to start of Day 3 of the 2nd Test, dismissing Joe Root and Ben Stokes on consecutive deliveries in the second over of the day.
When asked about leading India's pace attack, Siraj explained that he loves challenges and wants to stand up for his side during tough situations.
Hard work. Heart. Hustle.#MohammedSiraj shares what made this 6/70 meaningful ❤#ENGvIND 👉 2nd Test, Day 4 | SAT, 5th JULY, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/LCbkGg7mtw
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 4, 2025
“Akash Deep is playing just his third or fourth Test match. The same is the case with Prasidh Krishna. I have played 38 Tests," he said. "My only aim was to deliver and bowl consistent line and lengths."
"I had almost 600 runs on my board. So, I also wanted to try this. But my only aim was to hold the ball as much as I could. If the pressure builds, it would have been great for us,” Siraj told Deep Dasgupta after the day's play.
MORE: Full list of Indian bowlers with five-wicket hauls in Tests in England
“I love the responsibility. I love a challenge. Because I have seen a lot of challenges in life. And I have come from there. So, I like challenges. And when responsibility comes to me, then I take that thing very well. So, I like it when responsibility comes to me,” he added.