Mohammed Siraj has played an important role for India in the onmgoing Test series against England. Though he doesn't make the headlines quite often, the 31-year-old has given major contributions for the Men in Blue with the ball against England. He is the joint-highest wicket-taker for the side alongside Jasprit Bumrah with 14 scalps under his belt.
Siraj has performed incredibly well against England
Siraj has not missed a single match for India in the series and will most likely be featuring in the fifth Test as well. Seeing his impressive performances with the ball, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel feels that the pacer is taken for granted and added that his contributions often get overlooked.
“We tend to take Mohammed Siraj for granted. The effort he puts in, the intensity, and the smile he wears — no matter the match situation — that's commendable," Parthiv said on JioHotstar.
Meanwhile, Siraj may once again be leading India's bowling department in the upcoming match just like how he did in the Edgbaston Test. This will be due to the fact that Bumrah is likely to miss the fifth Test which is set to commence from July 31 at The Oval. According to a recent report by ESPNcricinfo, Bumrah is set to be rested for the fifth Test and in his absence, the onus will be on Siraj to deliver big time.
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With India's official playing XI for the fifth Test to not be announced until a few minutes before the beginning of the fifth Test, Parthiv wants Bumrah to feature for the fourth time in the series.
“We're all aware of how carefully his workload is being managed. It was announced at the press conference that he would play only three Tests, so there are a lot of factors to consider -- recovery, fitness, workload. But I would personally want to see him play the final one. Hopefully, the support staff travelling with the team can help him recover in time,” Parthiv stated.
Meanwhile, India head into the fifth Test trailing England in the series by 2-1. Though they have lost all their chances of triumphing the series, they can still manage to level it up if they win the upcoming clash at The Oval. However, on the other hand, England are favourites to lift the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as even a draw in the fifth Test will see them win the series.