"Stokes' number is now in his back pocket" - Aakash Chopra lauds Mohammed Siraj's spell in ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Mohammed Siraj for delivering a potent spell in the second Test against England. He noted that the Indian seamer has had the wood on Ben Stokes, dismissing the England captain for a golden duck this time around.

Siraj registered figures of 6/70 in 19.3 overs as India bowled England out for 407 in their first innings on Day 3 (Friday, July 4) in Birmingham. The visitors ended the day at 64/1 in their second innings, with a lead of 244 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener praised Siraj for showing exemplary commitment on a placid pitch while picking up a six-wicket haul, including the prized scalps of Joe Root and Stokes off successive balls.

"You definitely get one thing with Miyan Magic. He runs in and bowls his heart out every single time. If you need someone who will give his 100 percent whenever you give him the ball, that is Mohammed Siraj. Mohammed Siraj's commitment level, passion, aggression, and consistency in terms of his attitude are mindboggling and heartwarming. He puts in everything he has," Chopra said (2:00).

"He is not going to stop whether he gets wickets or not, irrespective of what is happening at the other end and how much he is getting hit, whether he has a niggle or not. The guy bowled incredibly once again. It's a road-like pitch. A lot of runs have been scored, but Siraj has shone. He picked up six wickets, dismissed Root, and Stokes' number is now in his back pocket," he added.

Mohammed Siraj dismissed Joe Root (22 off 46) and Ben Stokes (0 off 1) early on the third morning to reduce England to 84/5. He had the England skipper caught behind by Rishabh Pant, just as he did in the first innings of the first Test.

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"We hadn't kept him in the Champions Trophy team" - Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Siraj being treated unfairly

Mohammed Siraj cleaned up the England lower order with the second new ball. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Mohammed Siraj was unfairly left out of India's Champions Trophy squad.

"Just spend a moment of thought. You talk about workload management. This guy has bowled so many overs across three formats in the last two or three years that you say, take a bow, and despite that, we hadn't kept him in the Champions Trophy team. I was hurt because I felt we have been unfair to Siraj," he said (3:10).

The cricketer-turned-commentator termed Siraj a special player who needs to be managed properly.

"He didn't have luck at Headingley, but he toiled hard. You need a little luck for catches down the leg. This time, there was luck, and a lot of heart, grit, and resolve. Miyan Magic is a special player. He needs to be handled carefully," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra noted that Mohammed Siraj seems like a sidekick when Jasprit Bumrah is part of the team. He highlighted that as soon as Bumrah is not part of the bowling attack, the Hyderabad seamer becomes a leader.