1st Time In 93 Years: Mohammed Siraj Helps India Script Dramatic Record At The Oval
Mohammed Siraj's strong-hearted effort across five Tests reflected in his numbers as well, returning with 23 wickets to go equal with Jasprit Bumrah as an Indian bowler with most wickets in a Test series in England. Bumrah achieved the feat during the 2021-22 series to go past Bhuvneshwar Kumar (19). Siraj is also the highest wicket-taker of the newly-minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which ended with a 2-2 verdict after India's epic six-run win win at the Oval here on Monday, followed by England's Josh Tongue (19).
Beyond the individual achievements, India also set some team records during the drawn five-match series.
Narrowest win
The six-run win that they scored at the Oval was India's smallest in terms of runs in Test cricket, surpassing the 13-run victory that they had achieved against Australia at Mumbai in 2004.
Meanwhile, India made a total of 3,809 runs in this series, which is the most ever scored by a team in a five-match Test series.
Winless streak
India have also managed to extend England's winless streak in Test rubbers against them to four dating back to 2018.
This is England's second longest barren run in the traditional format after they went winless in five series between 1996 and 2011.
Root equals Gavaskar
Senior England batter Joe Root's 104 in the second innings of the Oval Test was his 13th hundred against India in Tests and 16th overall, going equal with Australian Steve Smith for the most number of centuries against India in international cricket.
Root also equalled batting legend Sunil Gavaskar's record of making 13 hundreds against the West Indies, and now he has only Don Bradman (19 hundreds vs England) ahead of him for most Test hundreds against a single nation.
Root also became the first batter to score 6000 runs in the history of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The Gill effect
India skipper Shubman Gill had a windfall series, scoring 754 runs, along the way overcoming two towering batters from the yore — Gavaskar and former England captain Graham Gooch.
Of course, Gill is the highest run-getter in the series.
The aggregate saw the elegant right-hander going past Gavaskar's tally of 732 runs to become the Indian captain with most runs in a Test series.
Gill also broke Gooch's 35-year-old record (752 runs) for most runs in a Test series between India and England.
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It wasn't nerves or pressure, it was anticipation. The sense that this could be his moment. That he, Mohammed Siraj, the boy from Hyderabad who once ran errands on a scooter, could win India a Test match through sheer Siraj channelled Bumrah on Monday morning and made the world believe in Siraj bhai.4.1 OVERS FROM HELLEngland knocked off eight runs in the first over of the day. It felt inevitable. Overton and Smith were capable of finishing it off with a couple of hits. But Siraj hadn't stopped charged in from wide of the crease, angled one in just enough to hold its line. Smith, looking to feel bat on ball, nicked it. Dhruv Jurel did the rest behind the stumps. One down. Three to go. Game over: wobble seam. His trusted ally. Overton, the big-hitter, trapped in front. England reviewed. Umpire's call. Clipping the bails. That was over: Prasidh Krishna, inspired by Siraj's discipline, cleaned up Josh Tongue. The Oval wasn't quiet anymore. You could hear came the final no mug with the bat, was still swinging. He launched one over long-on for six. A couple of byes followed. Then a single. The equation dropped to eight. England began to dream of a miracle of their Siraj had saved his fastest for 1113 of his series. Over 185.3. A searing yorker at 143 kph. Atkinson was late. Off-stump flattened. The Oval stunned. India erupted. Siraj sprinted away in celebration, arms spread wide, chest thumping, finishing with a Ronaldo-style of a lion. Performance of a champion. #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings | @mdsirajofficial Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 4, 2025He finished with figures of 5 for 67 — his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests — and handed India a six-run victory to level the series 2–2. He gave the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy the ending it deserved.'I always believed in my bowling,' he said after the match. 'I don't care if it's my first spell or the eighth. I give 100 percent every ball. I'm not bowling for myself; I'm bowling for the country.'The final morning at The Oval wasn't just a burst of brilliance. It was a culmination of 25 days of toil, heartbreak, redemption, and unwavering self-belief. Siraj carried a nation's fight through a brutal Lord's, he failed to hold on alongside Ravindra Jadeja when India needed 22 runs more in their 195-run chase. On Day 4 at The Oval, he dropped Harry Brook on 19 before the world's top-ranked batter punished India with a 90-ball 111. Twice his morale could've crumbled. A lesser man might have broken. But not Siraj. He believes. And when he believes, India don't know why the Almighty did all that with me,' Siraj said later, half-laughing. 'Maybe he saved something good for me.'SIRAJ'S GLADIATORIAL EFFORT: IN NUMBERS1113 balls, 185.3 overs. The most bowled by any Indian pacer in the series.283 false shots drawn. No Indian seamer in recorded history has drawn more in a series.5 wickets in the final innings, 23 in total in the Indian quick to play all five truly appreciate Siraj's impact, rewind to when he wasn't India's spearhead — just a spirited apprentice learning in Bumrah's shadow.'I only believe in Jassi bhai because he is a game-changer,' Siraj once for years, that rang true. Bumrah was the phenomenon. Siraj, the workhorse. One bent the game to his will; the other bent his body for the on this tour, the hierarchy shifted. Bumrah, worn from a heavy workload, lacked his usual venom. So Siraj stepped into the void — not just to fill it, but to own the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Siraj bowled more overs than anyone. He became India's engine room. When the ball was old, the pitch flat, and the scoreboard ominous, Shubman Gill turned to simply never stopped. Not when dropped catches robbed him. Not when his own hands failed at deep square. Not when over 1100 deliveries weighed on his legs. He just kept he kept getting JUST HEARTIt's easy and tempting to call Siraj 'lion-hearted'. And yes, his heart is the size of Hyderabad. But to stop there would be to overlook how finely he's honed his five Tests, Siraj showcased evolution. His wobble seam deliveries pounded English pads all tour. He rediscovered his outswinger — not just as a release, but as a trap. Lure them wide, then fire in the skiddy in-ducker. Wickets Joe Root. Ask Ollie Pope. They'll tell you how tough it was to react to the Siraj jag-backers, even when they saw it good days, he was teasing edges for fun. On dead days, he bent his back to keep things tight. When he needed a showstopper, he unleashed the Crawley on Day 3 at The Oval — undone by a yorker after being set up days later, with the series on the line, Gus Atkinson was next. After hitting a six, he faced Siraj's 1113th ball of the series: 143 kph. Missile. Off-stump. numbers were enormous. But Siraj's impact transcended stats. He earned admiration. Even from the Joe Root, rarely one for fanfare, was generous: 'He's a character, a warrior — a real warrior. Someone you want on your side. He gives everything for India. Credit to him for the way he plays. He's got this sort of fake angriness — but he's actually a lovely lad.'Ben Stokes, the archetypal last man standing, offered just this: 'I've always had great respect and admiration for Mohammed Siraj. He just keeps coming. You know he's never out of the fight.'And Brendon McCullum, the mastermind behind Bazball, summed it up:'As much as we were incredibly disappointed, I had admiration for him. What he did out there that's special.'OLD-SCHOOL GRITIndia clawed back from 1–2 down. They retained the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without their talisman at full tilt. In that final hour at The Oval, they didn't have the quickest bowler or the freshest legs. They had Siraj. And that was was the emotional core of India's campaign. The man who turned exhaustion into energy.'Cricket is my first love. I can do anything for it. My passion, my dedication Whenever I don't perform or we lose, it hurts. I love the sport too much. It hurts when you have breakups (laughs),' Siraj the age of T20 mercenaries and workload management, Siraj's story is a reminder. Of the days when playing for your country again and again, no matter how tired, was the greatest currency, the greatest honour of all.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like
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