Mohammed Siraj has done what only two Indian bowlers had managed before him.
He’s now in elite company alongside Kapil Dev and Vinoo Mankad — the only Indian bowlers to have played all five Tests in an away series on three different occasions and taken 10 or more wickets each time. To put that in perspective: no other fast bowler in the world has done this more than three times in the 21st century. That’s not just rare air — that’s stratospheric.
What makes it even more remarkable is that two of these came in back-to-back five-match series: first the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and now this current series in England. That’s not just consistency — that’s endurance at its peak.
And here’s a fun detail: in this England series, Chris Woakes is the only other bowler across both sides to have played all five Tests. Yet, it’s Siraj who’s ended up as India’s highest wicket-taker. He hasn’t just turned up — he’s delivered, again and again.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Siraj has become a constant in India’s ever-evolving bowling line-up. He’s featured in 27 of India’s last 30 Tests, which says everything about his fitness, his mindset, and the trust the team places in him. Whether it’s a green seamer or a flat road, he never backs away from bowling long spells. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t break down. He just goes out there and puts in the hard yards, day after day.
While Jasprit Bumrah often gets the spotlight (and deservedly so), the real unsung hero of India’s pace revolution in recent years has quietly been Mohammed Siraj. He’s not the flashiest. He’s not the fastest. But he’s always there. Always charging in. Always giving everything for the team.
Siraj is not just a workhorse, he’s a worklegend.
