The defeat at Lord’s still lingers in the minds of Indian fans and players alike. For Mohammed Siraj, who was the last man dismissed in the gripping third Test, the memories are still fresh and they hurt.
With the fourth Test against England set to begin on Wednesday, July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester, India have no option but to bounce back.
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The five-match series stands at 2-1 in England’s favour and this Test could decide if the visitors can level the score or fall behind further to lose the series.
Siraj about the final moments at Lord’s
Speaking to reporters in the build-up to the fourth Test, Siraj opened up emotionally about the end of the third Test where India came heartbreakingly close to victory. He said, “When I was batting, I genuinely felt like I couldn’t get out. That confidence was real. I kept thinking, if I do get out, it’ll only be my mistake and then it happened.”
He also reflected on the disappointment of the loss, despite India being in a position to win, “We could’ve won that match. That loss stung.”
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Despite the heartbreak, the pacer said the team’s fighting spirit was noticed by everyone, “After the match, everyone just said, ‘Good fight.’ At one point, we looked like losing by 80. We took it deep. That fight mattered.”
How did the third test match unfold and how did Siraj play?
India needed 193 to win in the final innings at Lord’s. But the chase quickly fell apart. The top order collapsed under pressure from England’s bowlers. At 58/4 by stumps on Day 4, India were already on the back foot.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant tried to steady the innings the next day, but failed to convert starts. As wickets kept falling, Ravindra Jadeja held one end and scored 61 not out.
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Jadeja tried to build crucial partnerships with Bumrah (5 off 54 balls) and Siraj (4 off 30 balls). But it wasn’t enough. Siraj’s dismissal ended the match at 170 all out, just 22 runs short of the target.