When the ace was absent, Siraj became it
At Headingley, Mohammed Siraj drew 69 false shots in 41 overs — a 27.8% false shot rate — but left with just two wickets. So when Joe Root feathered a harmless ball down the leg side at Edgbaston, it felt like overdue luck. What followed, though, was anything but fortune.
A short ball to Ben Stokes, not wild but tight and climbing, hurried him. Stokes couldn’t pick it, gloving it behind before Siraj even began his celebration. India were off to a dream start. England were 84 for 5 and trailing by over 500, yet the day was far from done.
Siraj himself had a jittery start: aborting his run-up twice, drawing boos from the crowd before silencing them with two quick wickets. His rhythm stayed patchy, stride lengths inconsistent, needing Rishabh Pant’s guidance to re-mark his run-up. But he adapted, asking Shubman Gill to switch him to the Pavilion End — an assertive, aware move stepping into the leadership role Bumrah’s absence left open.
Though the momentum shifted with Jamie Smith and Harry Brook counter-punching, Siraj didn’t fade. Fielded near the noisy Hollies Stand, he stayed engaged, even diving full-length to save a boundary — to the crowd’s amusement — and checking on Prasidh Krishna when India fed him into the Smith onslaught.
When given the ball again, Siraj delivered tight, defensive overs and drew more false shots. India’s plan was clear: attack the stumps in short bursts — the kind of skill Indian quicks hone at home. Eventually, Siraj trapped Brydon Carse with a wobble-seam delivery after a successful review, then pinned Josh Tongue LBW next ball. Later, he rattled Shoaib Bashir with a bouncer and then shattered his stumps.
Siraj finished with 6 for 70, his first five-for since Cape Town, a deserved reward after unrewarded toil in Australia and the misses at Headingley. Since the WTC final 2023, he has bowled nearly 3,000 balls — second only to Jadeja — a testament to his endurance and craft.
When Siraj led the team off, having handed India a massive lead, it was fitting that Bumrah was waiting beyond the rope with open arms — embracing Siraj and Akash Deep.
India will always protect Bumrah, and he may never play every Test in long series again. And while numbers don’t tell everything, one lingers: Siraj averages 33.82 in Tests with Bumrah, but 25.20 without him — a reminder that when the ace is absent, Siraj becomes it.
