ENG vs IND 2025: 'He thought Siraj would hit three sixes' - Ashwin reveals chat with father during Lord's Test
"He was bowling at 132-140 kph. At one end, you had Jadeja, standing like a fortress, stitching India's resistance and on the other, you had Stokes doing the same for England," said Ashwin.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shared an amusing anecdote, revealing that his father believed Mohammed Siraj would finish the match by hitting three sixes. The third Test between England and India at Lord’s turned out to be a thrilling contest, with both teams posting the same scores of 387 in their respective first innings.
In the second innings, England were bowled out for just 192, setting India a modest target. However, despite a strong fightback led by Ravindra Jadeja and the lower-order batters, India fell short by 22 runs. England captain Ben Stokes played a crucial role, delivering a marathon spell to help seal a narrow victory for the hosts.
"Ben Stokes bowled an unbelievable spell. I was discussing this with my father. He was assured that Siraj would finish it by smashing three sixes. I was asking him to cut down the jokes. Looking at Ben Stokes, he started talking about a bowler from his league games, who used to bowl from both ends," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
"In both spells of 9.2 and 10 overs, he was bowling at 132-140 kph. At one end, you had Jadeja, standing like a fortress, stitching India's resistance and on the other, you had Stokes doing the same for England," he added.
Joe Root discusses Ben Stokes' long spells in Lord's Test
Stokes may have scored only 77 runs across both innings, but it was his bowling that truly stood out. The right-arm pacer claimed five wickets in the match, delivering two impactful spells of 9.2 and 10 overs, which played a crucial role in keeping India under constant pressure.
The veteran off-spinner also praised Joe Root and Zak Crawley for their sportsmanship, as both players consoled Siraj following his unfortunate dismissal. Siraj, after showing resilience by facing 30 balls, was dismissed in an unlucky way when a delivery he defended off the front foot struck the rough and rolled back onto the stumps.
"What a battle. It was an amazing Test match. It was a battle among equals. Both teams were challenging each other to the limits and it ended at this moment. Look at how Crawley and Root are consoling Siraj with an arm around him. The beauty of this Test match was that every player was at loggerheads with each other. It was theatrical," Ashwin said.
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