"Centuries are important, but bowlers win you the match" - Aakash Chopra picks Mohammed Siraj as his Player of the Match
Aakash Chopra has picked Mohammed Siraj as his Player of the Match for the Lord's Test between India and England.
Siraj took four-wicket hauls in both innings of the second Test. He snared four of the last five English second-innings wickets to take Team India to a surprise win.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra chose Mohammed Siraj as the standout player of the match ahead of KL Rahul. He reasoned:
"KL Rahul got the Man of the Match award but I have picked Mohammed Siraj. I know centuries are important, they protect you, but bowlers win you the match because you need to take twenty wickets. So in my opinion, the Player of the Match is Mohammed Siraj."
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Mohammed Siraj's performance belied his inexperience at the international level. Chopra explained:
"This bowler is making things happen. He has got this happy knack of picking wickets. He is putting his heart and soul into it. Whenever he comes running in, it seems the lad will take wickets. It was just his 7th Test but it seemed like he has been playing for 70 Tests."
Mohammed Siraj has picked up 27 wickets in the seven Tests he has played to date. This includes a five-wicket haul at Brisbane and match-winning spells in both innings at Lord's.
"The confidence and belief with which Mohammed Siraj is playing is a fascinating story" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra lauded Mohammed Siraj for having immense belief in his abilities. He elaborated:
"The confidence and belief with which he is playing is a fascinating story. Four wickets in the first innings which also included two wickets in two balls. Then again two wickets in two balls in the second innings, handed a king pair to Sam Curran. Moeen Ali was looking good and was troubling India, he got him out as well."
The former Indian opener signed off by pointing out that Mohammed Siraj had struck vital blows at crucial junctures during the Lord's Test. Chopra observed:
"Haseeb Hameed in the first innings. He is just creating opportunities, when it seemed Jonny Bairstow had got set, he came round the stumps to bowl a bouncer and got him out. When Jos Buttler seemed set in the second innings, he got the outside edge to get him out. Four wickets in the first innings, four in the second, eight wickets in all."
Mohammed Siraj's dismissals of Moeen Ali and Sam Curran off consecutive deliveries in the second innings swung the match India's way. Ali had played out almost 16 overs in the company of Jos Buttler and the pair seemed to be taking the hosts to safety.