“Siraj is that man for India” - Nasser Hussain compares pacer with former England star amid ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has praised Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj for his relentless effort, comparing him to his former teammate Darren Gough for his ability to uplift the team when needed most. Hussain finds it impressive that Siraj can endure the entire series despite a demanding workload for fast bowlers from both teams.

Siraj is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker of the series with 19 scalps at 34.36, and he could well top the list as India needs eight more wickets with two days remaining in the fifth Test against India at The Oval. The 31-year-old has bowled an impressive 159.1 overs so far in the series and helped India finish Day 3 at The Oval on a high, dismissing Zak Crawley with a sharp yorker in the last over.

Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, the 57-year-old suggested that Siraj is the captain's dream

"With Chris Woakes going down injured for England, Siraj is the only fast bowler who has lasted the course of the series and put in spell after spell. He is the sort of bloke a captain absolutely loves. He lifts the team. I always talk about Darren Gough being that sort of person when I was England captain, and Siraj is that man for India."

Chris Woakes, 36, suffered a suspected shoulder dislocation on Day 1 while fielding and has been ruled out for the rest of the series. Siraj, meanwhile, has been relentless and has stepped up well, especially in the two Tests that their pace leader Jasprit Bumrah missed.

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"They have won as many sessions as England" - Nasser Hussain on Team India

Nasser Hussain. (Image Credits: Getty)

Hussain also stated that Team India has shown how tough a team they are to beat, pushing the match to the wire despite entering the series without key players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He added:

"I have been hugely impressed with the character and fight they have shown throughout this series. Some people thought they might roll over after the way they lost at Headingley, but they have since shown what a tough side they are to beat. They have won as many sessions as England, if not more. They have just been found wanting in some of the crucial moments. It is especially impressive when you consider they lost legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli right before the series."

The tourists have left England with a mountain to climb ahead of Day 4 as the latter require 324 more runs to win, having been set a target of 374.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer