"He has become the captain of the bowling department" - RP Singh lauds Mohammed Siraj's spell on Day 5 of ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Former India player RP Singh has lauded Mohammed Siraj for bowling a match-winning spell in the fifth Test against England. He opined that the Hyderabad seamer has become the captain of India's bowling department.

Siraj registered figures of 5/104 in 30.1 overs in England's second innings of the final Test at The Oval. His spell helped India bowl the hosts out for 367 on Monday (August 4) to register a six-run win and draw the series 2-2.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Singh was asked about his thoughts on Siraj's final day spell.

"It seemed like the match was slipping a little, but then came Mohammed Siraj. He took the match in his grasp with his good bowling, which we have been talking about from the first day. We saw potency in his bowling. He has become the captain of the bowling department," he responded.

The former India pacer pointed out that Siraj's bowling was a perfect blend of aggression and calmness.

"Every ball was talking. There was not even one moment when you felt Siraj wouldn't do anything. The volcano should erupt at times, and you need calmness on other occasions. There should be a blending of both things from time to time," he observed.

With 23 scalps at an average of 32.43 in nine innings, Mohammed Siraj was the highest wicket-taker in the five-match series. He was chosen as the Player of the Match for picking up nine wickets across England's two innings in the final Test.

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"One gets more charged up when the atmosphere is like this" - RP Singh on the speed of Mohammed Siraj's final delivery in ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Mohammed Siraj castled Gus Atkinson to seal India's win in the Oval Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, RP Singh was asked about Mohammed Siraj's delivery to dismiss Gus Atkinson being his fifth-fastest ball of the series.

"There has never been an issue with Siraj's fitness. He was bowling at almost the same speed. One gets more charged up when the atmosphere is like this. You feel that this is your moment, and you can change it in your favor. For that, you need to push yourself a little extra," he replied.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that a seamer invariably pushes himself a little harder when the game is on the line.

"For a fast bowler, the run-up becomes better, the body gets aligned, and your brain forces you to push a little more. In any case, you need to put a little extra power if you have to bowl a yorker. However, Siraj's fitness has been up to the mark. Load management wouldn't have been on his mind. He said he would play all five games and bowl similarly in all of them," Singh observed.

Mohammed Siraj picked up three of the four England wickets to fall on Day 5 of the Oval Test. He dismissed Jamie Smith (2 off 20) and Jamie Overton (9 off 17) before castling Gus Atkinson (17 off 29) to secure India's win.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer