Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant beam with joy as India script win for the ages at Edgbaston: 'It was Akash Deep's destiny…'

Mohammed Siraj explained how he was on hand to guide a sensational 10-wicket haul for his younger bowling partner Akash Deep in Birmingham.

India bounced back in terrific fashion to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at 1-1, with their largest ever win away from home in history saw them conquer Edgbaston to set up a mouth-watering remainder of the series. While Shubman Gill’s heroics rightly made the headlines, scoring a whopping 269 and 161 in the same match, it was a pair of six-fers in each innings by Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep that ensured India were on the ball in all parts of the match.

Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj take a picture together with stumps to commemorate a fine pair of bowling performances at Edgbaston in Birmingham. (AP)

Speaking to BCCI’s social media after the match, Siraj explained how he tried to play the role of the team’s senior seamer by mentoring a phenomenal Akash Deep, who took 4 wickets in the first innings and 6 in the second.

"Whenever he was bowling, I was at mid-off guiding him. Every ball I told him don’t search for wickets — just put it in the same place and you'll get wickets. I told him, if it's in his destiny, he'll get a fifer. Second innings, next day, he got a fifer," explained a beaming Siraj, holding a stump which had his own first innings figures of 6-70 inscribed on it.

Akash: ‘I got everything I wanted…’

Akash took his bowling partner’s compliments with grace and humility, pointing out how it was an even sweeter feeling for him given his performance in his maiden five-fer in Test cricket could help his team pull off the win.

“The biggest thing is that the match in which I took 5 wickets, our team won. This was my proudest moment, that I could help contribute to our team winning. I wouldn’t be as happy with my first five-fer if it was a draw. I got everything I wanted,” said Akash Deep.

For Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant, this was a cathartic victory after the last time India had played a Test at Edgbaston. Pant had scored a century on that occasion in 2022, but a record chase by England meant India couldn’t put the seal on their remarkable series the summer prior.

“Last time when we came here, our task was incomplete at Edgbaston. This time, so happy we were able to achieve it,” explained the wicket-keeper, who played a counter-punching 65 in the third innings. “One thing we always talk about is how we can learn as a team and defy whatever we have done in the past. But bringing this team together and taking it to a different level. That’s all we need.”

Only a brief pause for the team, before the third Test match of the series begins on 10th July.