India’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj delivered a match-winning five-wicket haul on Monday at The Oval, leading India to a thrilling six-run victory over England and leveling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. England, starting as favourites on the final day needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand, fell short as India’s bowlers orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the morning session.Siraj played a pivotal role in dismantling England’s batting lineup, first dismissing Jamie Smith with a caught-behind after UltraEdge confirmed a faint edge. He then trapped Jamie Overton lbw with a sharp inswinger, a decision that remained unchanged even after England reviewed it.Prasidh Krishna also played his part in England’s collapse by bowling Josh Tongue with a pinpoint 141 kph yorker, reducing England from 347/6 to 354/9.“I have a wallpaper on my phone that says ‘Belief.’ And I always believe in myself. I was just focusing on bowling in the right areas. I wasn’t too concerned about conceding boundaries—I just wanted to stick to the plan and take wickets,” Siraj said after the match.Following Siraj’s heroics, Google India paid tribute to him, taking a cue from his now-viral quote: “I only believe in Jassi bhai,” which he had said about Jasprit Bumrah after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win. In a clever twist, Google turned that phrase into a tribute to Siraj himself.
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“Congratulations Team India,” Google India wrote on X, along with an image showing a search for “I only believe in S,” where “Siraj bhai” amusingly appears as the top suggestion.Earlier, Google India had also tweeted about Siraj downloading an image of the word “Believe” from Google. “There are Google Searches and then there’s this,” the tweet read.It was a moment of redemption for Mohammed Siraj in more ways than one. Not only did he make up for the dropped catch of Harry Brook — who went on to score 92 after the reprieve — but he also bounced back from the disappointment of Manchester, where he was the last man out, bowled by Shoaib Bashir while trying to defend.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Siraj said, “Honestly, I didn’t think I had stepped on the boundary cushion after holding onto the catch. It was a match-changing moment. Harry Brook went into T20 mode after that, and we were behind in that phase. Thanks to the almighty.”He added, “I always have the belief that I can deliver for the team in any situation.”
