India tightened their grip on the second Test as Mohammed Siraj delivered a crucial double blow early on Day 3. The match, held at Edgbaston, saw England resume their innings at 77-3, still trailing India’s huge first-innings total of 567. Captain Shubman Gill had led the way for India with a brilliant 269.
England pinned their hopes on experienced batters Joe Root and Harry Brook to stabilize the innings. However, Mohammed Siraj quickly shattered those plans.
In just the second over of the day, Siraj struck. Joe Root, who had moved to 22, edged a delivery down the leg side and was caught by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. On the very next ball, Siraj produced a rising delivery that England captain Ben Stokes could only edge to Pant again. With this double strike, England suddenly found themselves struggling at 84-5.
Siraj, aiming for a hat-trick, bowled to new batter Jamie Smith. But unlike the previous two wickets, Smith confidently drove the ball for four runs, denying Siraj a hat-trick opportunity—much like what happened to Akash Deep the day before.
Despite resting their leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, India’s bowling unit performed impressively. Bumrah, ranked as the world’s top Test bowler, is being carefully managed and is expected to play only three of the five matches in the series.
Mohammed Siraj’s ability to make key breakthroughs kept England under pressure, especially as they were trying to recover from a massive deficit. His performance not only highlighted India’s bowling depth but also shifted momentum firmly in India’s favor.
England had earlier won the first Test at Headingley by five wickets, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. However, India’s dominant performance in the second Test, led by Gill’s double century and Mohammed Siraj‘s fiery spell, has set up an intense battle for the remainder of the series.
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