“It was a script from God,” says Mohammed Siraj on his heroic performance in England vs India Test series

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj suggested that his heroic performance in the England Test series earlier this year felt like it was ‘scripted by God’.

Siraj bowled 185.3 overs in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy —1,113 deliveries to be specific—and finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker with 23 wickets, helping India claim a 2-2 draw.

“It was a script written for me from somewhere up there,” said Siraj in an interview with The Indian Express. “From getting bowled in Lords (the Test that India lost), then reaching Oval. Then I took a catch (of Harry Brook) and touched the boundary. Everything was written for me. It was a script from God.

“When I woke up on that final morning, they needed 35 runs. I told myself that this game wouldn’t go beyond an hour and that I will win this match. Match was to start at 11 am and the team bus would leave by 9 am. I woke up at 6 am! I asked myself, ‘Why did I wake up so early today?’ I had woken up suddenly.

“After that, I wrote down, ‘I can do this, win the game’. When the ball came out of my hand, the execution was exactly how I was thinking; it’s a good sign. God had written, ‘ Ja hero ban ja tu, become a hero,’” said Siraj.

Mohammed Siraj of India celebrates the match-winning wicket of Gus Atkinson of England with teammate Dhruv Jurel on day five of the 5th Test Match at the Oval.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

The 31-year-old quick also revealed that he had manifested becoming the highest wicket-taker in the series, even before it began.

“When I landed in England, my aim was to become the highest wicket-taker there. That was my zone. During the whole series, I was mentally strong — I wanted to be 100 per cent fit, 100 per cent available, and play all five matches. My rhythm was also very good when I played the practice matches. When I found out that Jassi bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) was not going to play all the matches, I wanted to give my 100 per cent, since I was the second senior fast bowler in the team.

“When we played the last series in Australia in 2024, I took 20 wickets. But Jassi bhai’s performance was extraordinary. I played well in the IPL. That gave me confidence. After the Champions Trophy, I had a good break. I realised what was wrong with my bowling. I practised and worked on my fitness,” added Siraj.

Ahead of the fifth Test at the Oval, despite India trailing the series 1-2, Siraj was given the option of sitting out of the game, considering the heavy workload placed on him in the four previous Tests. But the Hyderabad-born pacer rejected the suggestion as he believed he was in the ‘zone’.

“Shubman (Gill) [the captain] asked me,  ‘Kaisi hai teri body?’ (How is your body?). I said,  ‘Ekdum (absolutely) first-class’. He asked me if I would play. I said yes. He said, ‘You are the main bowler for us, like Bumrah, you decide’. I said I’m available and am 100 per cent fit. I will give it everything.

“As for my body being tired, to be honest, I would have played one more Test if it was there. I didn’t feel tired. But I was in a zone. When you enter that zone, you don’t know what you are doing, but just have that feeling that I have to do something here,” said Siraj.

Published on Oct 06, 2025