ENG vs IND 2nd Test 2025: Mohammed Siraj Loves Accepting Challenges! Multiple Records Achieved!

India’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj finds himself in the elite list of talented former pacers, namely Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, and Ishant Sharma, to grab 5 or more wickets in tests at Edgbaston. 

The 31-year-old claimed 6/70 in 19.3 overs against England in the recently concluded 2nd test of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy. This is indeed the second-best bowling figure in his test career after claiming 6/15 against South Africa in Cape Town the previous year.

Interestingly, Siraj became the first visiting pacer at Edgbaston since 1993 to achieve a 6-wicket haul and recorded the third-best bowling figures by an overseas bowler. Also, he joined the list of those five Indian pacers who bagged a 5-fer against the hosts at Edgbaston.

During the post match conversation, Siraj revealed that he loved to accept the challenge of leading India’s pace bowling attack in Bumrah’s absence.

Let’s dive deeper to find out how the Indian speedster accepted new challenges and dominated against the English batting line-up to achieve several records to his name and guide his team to a 336-run victory.

How Siraj’s 6-Fer Attacked England’s Batting Line-Up?

After dismissing England’s opener Zak Crawley (19 runs) on Day 02, Siraj on the next day restricted the opponent to 84/5 by claiming two consecutive wickets of Joe Root (22 runs) and the captain Ben Stokes (0).

However, the 303-run stand for the 6th wicket between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook threatened India’s winning chances.

But it was Akash Deep who provided the required turning point by dismissing Brook, who scored 158 runs out of 234 deliveries at a strike rate of 67.52, which includes 17 fours and 1 six.

Moreover, the credit goes to Siraj, who returned stronger with the second new ball to dismiss the tailenders for a duck (Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir). As a result, England managed to score 487 in response to India’s 1st innings total of 587.

Finally, Team India’s Day 03 at stumps saw them enhance their lead to 244 runs and score 64 runs for a loss of one wicket in their second innings.

‘I Enjoy the Challenge’: Mohammed Siraj About Leading India’s Inexperienced Pace Bowling Attack

During the post-match interview on Day 03, Siraj opened up on how he executed his plans to dismantle England’s batting line-up:

“Yes! Right now, I am unable to believe. I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time to claim a 5-wicket haul. Although I bowled well but was not able to grab wickets. As I have bagged only 4-wicket hauls here, achieving a 6-fer is something special for me.

I accept that the wicket was very slow. But, when you take responsibility to lead the pace bowling attack, my target was not to think too much. It was an enjoyable experience as I loved accepting this challenge.

Probably, Akash Deep might be playing his third or fourth test, which is the same for Prasidh as well. So, it was important for me to remain focused and deliver consistent performance to create pressure on the opposition. Especially while trying out different techniques, I knew consistency would be the main factor for success.

All I needed to do was just bowl at the right areas with complete discipline. My focus was clear to keep the situations under control and not leaking too many runs.

Even if I take a wicket, it builds confidence in the entire team and boosts the momentum,” Siraj said.

Indian Bowler Best Bowling Figures at Edgbaston Test ft. Mohammed Siraj

The following are the five Indian bowlers who bagged 5 wickets or more in tests at the Edgbaston, with Mohammed Siraj being the latest entrant to the list:

Indian Pacers Who Achieved a 6-Wicket Haul in England Test 

Recently, Siraj became the fifth Indian pacer after Amar Singh, Chetan Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ishant Sharma to claim a 6-wicket haul or more in tests played in England, and here is a year-wise detailed list:

Siraj’s Third Best Bowling Figures as a Visiting Pacer in Tests At Edgbaston

As this was Siraj’s first 5-wicket haul in England, he recorded the third-best bowling figures as a visiting pacer at Edgbaston after Imran Khan and Chetan Sharma: