India's pace bowler Mohammed Siraj said his seam-bowling partner Akash Deep was meant to get a five-wicket haul.
Siraj took had a match haul of 7 wickets, with 6 for 70 in the first innings, while Akash finished with 10 wickets in the match (4 for 88 and 6 for 99), their performances proving crucial to India's historic win.
'To be honest it was an important match of an important series. As a player, it feels great to create such memorable (moments) and history," Siraj said in a video on bcci.tv.
'The way Gill and Akash Deep performed... whenever he was bowling, I was positioned at mid-off. I was telling him 'don't just go after taking wickets, keep bowling in one area and you will get the wickets'.
'Jaisa first innings me bola tha, agar uski kismat me hai, to panja milega. Second innings, next day, dekho panja mil chuka hai (I had said in the first innings that if he has a five-for in his fate, he will get it. Look, he got one in the second innings),' an elated Siraj added.
'This is the third best match of my life. First was Gabba, then Lord's and now this. I cannot describe this feeling,' he added.
Akash Deep said, 'The biggest thing is that I took five wickets and our team won. It is a proud moment for me that I contributed in the team's win. I won't be as happy had I taken a maiden five-for and the game ended in a draw.'
India vice-captain Rishabh Pant said: 'The last time we came here, the task was incomplete at Edgbaston and this time, so happy that we were able to achieve it,' he said.
'One thing that we always talk about is how we can learn as a team and defy all the past, whatever we have done but bringing this team together and making it to a different level, that's is all we need.'
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