'What was Siraj thinking?'

‘What was he thinking? He wasn't thinking at all’

It was the kind of moment that can haunt a player for years. Mohammed Siraj had the ball in his hands, the catch completed — and then stepped on the rope.

A stunned silence followed.

India’s hopes of shifting momentum were dashed, and Harry Brook, reprieved, began to take charge.

Watching it unfold, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had just one question, ‘What was he thinking?’

With India defending a 373-run target in the final innings, the momentum was swinging fast. England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root had begun to threaten India’s hopes of levelling the series, launching a sharp counterattack after early breakthroughs. Prasidh Krishna, who had already struck earlier, offered India a lifeline in the 35th over when Brook top-edged a pull shot off a short ball.

As the ball soared toward long leg, Prasidh began celebrating, confident it was a routine dismissal. Mohammed Siraj was perfectly placed, completed the catch — but then disaster struck. His back foot, in a moment of misjudgment, grazed the boundary rope. The dismissal turned into a six. Siraj immediately realised the magnitude of the error, burying his face in his palms as the Indian camp watched in disbelief.

Brook, gifted an unexpected reprieve, made full use of the lifeline and returned unbeaten at lunch — leaving India to rue the missed opportunity.

Reacting to the blunder, Ponting was scathing in his assessment on Sky Sports, ‘What was he thinking? He wasn't thinking at all. He didn't have to move to take the catch, so how costly might that be? Brook is still in and reads the bowlers so well. He bats in a Test match, how you would try and read a bowler in a T20.’

Former India coach and captain Ravi Shastri, meanwhile, appreciated the intensity of the contest, highlighting the battle for control between bat and ball.

‘That session was Test cricket at its best. It was a watchful first hour — good bowling and plenty of chat out there, fielders getting in the face of the batters.’

India had reduced England to 106/3 early in the session, thanks to quick strikes from Siraj and Prasidh. But Brook’s aggressive counterpunch, reminiscent of India’s own firebrand wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, swung the momentum back.

‘India picked up a couple of wickets — but then came the counterattack. In a seesaw battle, England took the momentum. Harry Brook did a Rishabh Pant. I liked his anticipation. It was clear that he wanted to score runs and be disruptive,’ Shastri added.

As the Test continued to hang in the balance, Siraj’s error loomed large — a moment that could either be forgiven or forever remembered depending on how the final day plays out.