Wasim Akram understands that a fast bowler fights two battles: one against the pitch and the batsman, and the other inside his own head. In Siraj’s performance at The Oval, he saw a man winning both.
It’s one thing to bowl perfectly to the conditions, which Siraj did. But what truly impressed Akram was the composure. On a high-stakes final day, Siraj never looked rattled. That quiet control under immense pressure, Akram knows, is what turns a good player into a great one.
It wasn’t just that Siraj won the six-run thriller for India; it was that he was the relentless force who had shaped the entire series. Akram was identifying a player who didn’t just perform, but dominated.
And the numbers back it up: Siraj wasn’t just clutch in the final moments; he was the most dominant bowler from start to finish, ending the five-match tour with an incredible 23 wickets.
Speaking to Telecom Asia Sport, Akram said Siraj’s effort in the closing stages of the Oval Test showed both hunger and resilience. England had been chasing just 35 more runs when Siraj removed three of the last four batters, sealing the win for India.
“Siraj was full of hunger and passion – it was an incredible effort,” Akram said. “To bowl nearly 186 overs across five Tests and still be that fiery on the final day shows remarkable stamina and mental strength.”
Akram noted Siraj’s ability to recover quickly after a dropped catch off Prasidh Krishna’s bowling allowed Harry Brook to push past a century. “He’s leading the attack and doing it with heart,” Akram said. “Even when a catch went down, he didn’t lose focus.”
The former Pakistan captain admitted he was unusually glued to the action on Day 5. “I rarely watch cricket when I’m not working, but I was glued to the last day,” he said. At the start of play, he gave India a 60 percent chance, believing the first breakthrough would be key.
Akram was also super impressed by India’s decision to sit Bumrah for the last match. He basically said it takes real guts for a team to rest their best bowler, but India knew they had the backup, and it paid off big time.
And Siraj delivered. He was on fire at The Oval, grabbing nine wickets and really showing he’s the future leader of their attack. Akram was just loving it, saying that anyone who thinks Test cricket is dead needs to look again, because it’s obviously “alive and kicking.”
