India's star pacer Mohammed Siraj who is widely recognised for his aggressive style while on the field and truly epitomises coutry's fearless generation of cricketers. As India played some of its best Test cricket in 2021, winning in Australia and almost taking the series in England, Siraj emerged as one of Indian cricket's biggest find. From making his debut to Melbourne to claiming a maiden five-for in Gabba, to producing match-winning spells in England, 2021 witnessed the exponential rise of Siraj.
Playing his third Test, Siraj found himself spearheading the Indian bowling attack in the absence of senior bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, all of whom were injured, and he led the Indian bowling with a memorable five-wicket-haul which played an instrumental role in India breaching the fortress of Gabba.
Along with Siraj, another young gun who was equally instrumental in handing Australia their first loss at Brisbane was Rishabh Pant, who played a blinder of a knock and remained unbeaten on 89 as India knocked down 328 runs on the final day to win an epic Test match. A little over a year later, Siraj looked back at the Gabba thriller, and explained how nervous the team was watching Pant take the attack to Australia on the final day.
"It's difficult to put into words how nervous the dressing room was. Rishabh is someone who scares his own team. Just imagine the effect he must have on the opposition. We were all hoping and praying for Rishabh to stay in. We just wanted him to keep batting because we knew we would win the game if he did," Siraj said.
The entire day saw a roller coaster of emotions. After Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara added 114 runs for the second wicket, Australia dismissed both batters to give themselves a chance to running away with the game. But standing between them and their plans of reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a determined Pant, who batted defiantly with the tail and took India home. Siraj admits revisiting the moment still gives him goosebumps.
"When Rishabh was going for his shots, we kept thinking hold on. Stay in just a little longer. Everyone was so happy that we broke Australia's record at the Gabba. Just thinking about the celebrations gives me goosebumps even now. I can never forget the victory lap around the ground. Indian flag in hand, thanking all the fans," he added.
Such was the character shown by the Indian team who was marred by the series of injuries and was also without the services of the then skipper Virat Kohli. But Rishabh rose to the occasion and produced a dream knock which sent a clear message to the cricket world about his fearless trait and dominance in the game.
