Mohammed Siraj becomes second Indian cricketer in history to achieve this remarkable milestone

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is the spearhead of India’s bowling unit in the ongoing fifth and final Test match against England at The Oval in London. The right-handed pacer became only the second Indian bowler after Jasprit Bumrah to claim 20 wickets in a series on English soil in the longest format of the game.

Siraj picked up four wickets while conceding 86 runs in 16.2 overs in the first innings. Siraj continued his form in England’s second innings by removing opener Zak Crawley late on Day 3. On the following morning, he dismissed stand-in captain Ollie Pope for 27 to help his team edge closer to victory.

Mohammed Siraj Becomes the Second Indian to Take 20 Wickets in a Test Series in England

Siraj produced a brilliant delivery to dismiss Ollie Pope, trapping him lbw with a nip-backer that came in from a wide angle. The ball struck Pope on the knee roll and was shown by Hawkeye to be crashing into the middle and leg. Pope had to head back to the dressing room after scoring 27 runs.

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With that wicket, Siraj overtook England pacer Josh Tongue to become the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with 20 dismissals.

Siraj also became only the second Indian bowler to take 20 wickets in a Test series in England, joining Jasprit Bumrah on that elite list. He is behind Bumrah, who took 23 wickets in the 2021 series, on the all-time list for Indians in a Test series on English soil.

Most Wickets by Indians in Test Series in England:

Mohammed Siraj Completes Second 20+ Wicket Haul in SENA Test Series

In the past 15 years, only five instances have seen an Indian bowler claim 20 or more wickets in a single Test series in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). Siraj has achieved this feat twice, while Jasprit Bumrah has done so three times.

Bumrah picked up 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Siraj has taken 20 wickets at an average of 34.30 in the ongoing England series.

Indian Bowlers with 20+ Wickets in SENA Test Series in the Last 15 Years:

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna Strike for India in Morning Session of Day 4

India posted 396 in their second innings on Day 3, setting England a target of 374 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 118, while Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar contributed valuable half-centuries.

England made a steady start and looked set to end the day without loss, but Siraj struck late to dismiss Zak Crawley, leaving them at 50/1 by stumps.

On Day 4, Ben Duckett reached his half-century before falling to Prasidh Krishna, with KL Rahul taking a sharp catch in the slips. Siraj then removed Ollie Pope for 27. At the time of writing, England were 164/3, still 210 runs away from victory, with Joe Root (38) and Harry Brook (23) at the crease.

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