Ahead of the Manchester Test against England, India’s right-arm seamer Mohammed Siraj recalled his time when he was batting at the crease during the third match of the series in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
An unfortunate dismissal of Mohammed Siraj at the hands of Shoaib Bashir, with the ball rolling back into the stumps after landing on the pitch, marked the end of India’s stubborn resistance at Lord’s, with Ravindra Jadeja left stranded following a heartbreaking 22-run loss.
India’s Near Comeback Overshadowed by Narrow Loss
India lost the match despite dominating England for large parts of the game, with Jasprit Bumrah being one of the standout performers. He took seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on his dismissal in the Lord’s Test, Siraj told the media, “It obviously hurts when you get out despite middling the ball. The way our (Ravindra Jadeja’s and my) partnership was going, I felt I wouldn’t get out. I was that confident. But unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way, and I was extremely disappointed. Had we won the game from there, it would have been a different result altogether.”
Series Status and Upcoming Fourth Test Preview
The Three Lions are currently 2-1 ahead in the five-match series after winning the third Test at Lord’s by just 22 runs. Now, the visitors will take on the Ben Stokes-led side in the fourth Test of the series which will be played at Old Trafford from July 23.
Akash Deep’s Fitness Update Ahead of Manchester Test
Mohammed Siraj provided an update on fast bowler Akash Deep’s fitness and said the pacer bowled in the nets in the morning. Siraj said the physio will assist the bowler and tell whether he is fit to play or not.
Akash Deep is nursing a groin niggle, compounding India’s concerns. The right-arm seamer was instrumental in India squaring the series in Birmingham with a 10-wicket match haul. However, in the Lord’s Test, he looked off-colour, managing just one wicket and even walking off on Day 4 for treatment, though the exact nature of that issue wasn’t confirmed then.
“Akash Deep has a groin issue. He bowled today, and now physios will see. That’s what I know so far,” Siraj said at pre-match press conference.
India Strengthens Pace Bowling Options with Anshul Kamboj
Trailing 2-1 in the five Test series, India have been dealt with injury blows ahead of the Manchester Test, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh having been ruled out of the ongoing series.
Anshul Kamboj was named in India’s squad for the remaining two Tests to add to the pace-bowling resources. During the press conference, Siraj wished “good luck” to the youngster.
“It is very good for him. I wished him good luck for the remaining England tour,” Siraj added.
Kamboj, a 24-year-old right-arm seamer, is known for his ability to stick to traditional lengths and hit the deck hard to generate movement. He was part of the India A squad before for the two unofficial Tests against England Lions and impressed in the second in Northampton, scything four wickets, including two in a single over.
Squads for Fourth Test: England and India
England squad for fourth Test against India: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
India’s squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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