“Felt Like I Wouldn’t Survive That Day”: Siraj Opens Up on Emotional Lord’s Collapse

“Felt I Wouldn’t Get Out, But…”: Siraj Recalls Emotional Lord’s Test Finish.

Mohammed Siraj has opened up about the heartbreak of India’s narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s, where he was the last man out. Needing 23 runs to win, Siraj was batting confidently with Ravindra Jadeja before a defensive shot off Shoaib Bashir tragically rolled back onto his stumps.

“I genuinely felt I wouldn’t get out. I was defending well and had the belief. But despite middling the ball, it hit the stumps — that was heartbreaking,” Siraj said ahead of the Manchester Test. The defeat left him in tears and took time to process. “That pain stayed with me for a long time. I’m emotional by nature, and that loss — being so close — hurt badly. If we had won, the series would have looked very different.”

He praised Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah’s efforts, which inspired him. “Jaddu bhai batted superbly, and Jassi bhai faced 54 balls. That fight gave me hope that the series isn’t over yet. It also motivated me to work more on my batting — runs from tailenders are vital, especially overseas.”

Siraj, who was India’s match-winner in the Lord’s Test of 2021, said the dressing room acknowledged the fight. “No one blamed anyone. Everyone said, ‘good fight.’ We were expected to lose by a big margin but took it to the final session — that says a lot.”

With the series now at 2-1 in England’s favour, Siraj said the team remains upbeat ahead of the Manchester Test starting July 23.