Mohammed Siraj sprinted across The Oval, jumped high, arms wide, chest puffed, and let out a roar. His Ronaldo-style Siuu! celebration echoed the drama of the moment—it wasn’t just any dismissal. Siraj had just clean-bowled Gus Atkinson to win India one of the most thrilling Test matches in its history. A six-run win. India’s narrowest ever. A moment of disbelief turned into delirium, punctuated by a celebration that fans can’t get enough of.
Siraj’s celebration has become a cult favourite, but there’s a method to when he does it. “I only do the Cristiano Ronaldo celebration when I clean bowl someone—not for a catch or LBW,” he explained in the post-match conference. “I do it because I like and admire him for his work ethic, the routine he follows, and the way he performs consistently. He always has a never-give-up attitude. Obviously, Ronaldo is the best—GOAT of all time,” he added.
It’s no surprise, then, that he saved it for Gus’ wicket—his fifth of the innings, and the one that handed India a win in a game they had no business winning just hours earlier. England, chasing 374, were cruising at one point. But a flurry of wickets on Day 5, led by Siraj’s fiery burst, saw them collapse for 367. Siraj finished with figures of 5 for 104, taking key scalps in the final session—clean-bowling Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and finally Gus with a searing yorker.
{{/usCountry}}It’s no surprise, then, that he saved it for Gus’ wicket—his fifth of the innings, and the one that handed India a win in a game they had no business winning just hours earlier. England, chasing 374, were cruising at one point. But a flurry of wickets on Day 5, led by Siraj’s fiery burst, saw them collapse for 367. Siraj finished with figures of 5 for 104, taking key scalps in the final session—clean-bowling Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and finally Gus with a searing yorker.
{{/usCountry}}What made the performance even more special was what Siraj revealed after the match. The night before, he’d searched for the word “Believe” on Google, made it his phone wallpaper, and told himself he would change the game for India. He stuck to that promise. "I woke up early, went on Google and searched ‘Believe wallpaper’. I found Ronaldo’s image and made it my wallpaper. I told myself, ‘I will do it today,’” Siraj said after the match.
His final spell was filled with venom, and his energy never dipped—not even after long spells or close calls. The celebration was the emotional release of everything he’d built up inside.
Social media lit up in the aftermath. Sachin Tendulkar called the team “SUPERMEN from INDIA” and gave them a perfect 10. Fans flooded timelines with Siraj’s celebration photos and videos, hailing him as a fighter. Former players called it one of the greatest Test comebacks ever.
But perhaps the lasting image of the day isn’t the scoreboard, the chaos, or even the final wicket. It’s Siraj flying through the air in celebration—channelling Cristiano, fuelled by belief, and reminding the world that some wickets, and some wins, deserve something a little extra.