'He told me to remember all the hard work my father has put in to get me here.'
IMohammed Siraj opened up about the heartbreak he endured during the third Test at Lord's and also revealed how Ravindra Jadeja kept him going before the ill-fated moment settled the fate of the contest.
In the final hour of the third Test, Jadeja and Siraj's stubborn resistance for the final wicket kept India's slim hopes of victory alive on Day 5.
Jadeja took a single on the third delivery, leaving Siraj to negate the last three deliveries against off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Siraj fell to a freak dismissal as he bowled despite playing a solid block. He lunged forward and defended the ball off the middle of the bat, but the overspin saw the ball deflect back on to the stumps, leaving him in disbelief.
A shocked Siraj sank to his knees, his anguish palpable, head bowed and overwhelmed with emotions, as England erupted in jubilation with a 22-run victory.
Siraj revealed that during their defiant act, Jadeja asked him to back his technique, remember his late father and do it for him.
'Lord's was heartbreaking. Jaddu bhai told me to back my defence and play with a straight bat. He told me to remember my my father and do it for me. He told me to remember all the hard work my father has put in to get me here,' Siraj said after being adjudged Player of the Match at the post-match presentation in the fifth Test at the Oval.
Siraj's father Mohammad Ghouse plied an autorickshaw in Hyderabad before he passed away in November 2020. Siraj was then in Australia as a member of the Indian team and could not return for his father's funeral because of Covid restrictions.
It was Siraj, who led India's sensational comeback in the fifth and final Test at The Oval to help the visitors snatch a narrow six run victory and draw the five match series 2-2.
Siraj bowled his heart out in the must-win game, picking up nine wickets in total, including match-winning figures of 5/104 in the second innings.
He ran through the England lower order picking up three wickets on the final day, including the final wicket of Gus Atkinson, to bowl India to a memorable victory.
'I always believe that I can win the game from any point, and did it this morning,' Siraj told Dinesh Karthik in a post match chat on JioHotstar.
'My only plan was to bowl good areas. Didn't matter if I took wickets or went for runs.'