India and England have a whole lot at stake going into Day 5 of the 3rd Test at Lord’s. After the hosts were bowled out for 192 in the second innings, India came in to bat and were reduced to 58/4 by stumps on Sunday. While the last few days of the Test have seen passionate displays of intent and tensions boil over, one particular man remained in the spotlight.Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj, who has been a lively figure for India throughout the series, was in high spirits on Day 4 as well. He first made sure that the opponents knew of his intent when he claimed the wicket of Ben Duckett.After the England opener was caught by Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj made sure to celebrate right in Duckett’s face. He even went up, nudged the batter with his shoulder, and celebrated in his face. The intensity was unmistakable—a clear indication that India were still simmering from the late-day antics of Day 3, where Zak Crawley’s time-wasting tactics angered Indian captain Shubman Gill and denied India a full final over.Reacting to the aggression of the Indian squad, former England captain and legend Nasser Hussain shared his take on the fiery temper on display by the visitors. “He is someone who you love to have in your team. Because when it’s important—when Indian fans are desperate for their cricketers to show some passion and fight—no one does that better than Mohammed Siraj,” said Hussain, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket.
Siraj was heavily animated yet again after umpire Paul Reiffel did not budge for an LBW against Joe Root. Siraj’s blistering delivery caught Root off-guard as it zipped onto his pad. While the visitors were fully convinced that Root’s wicket was in the bag, the umpire thought differently. A DRS call later, India was forced to swallow the difficult pill that Root would continue at the crease, as the decision rested on the umpire’s call.As India prepare to bat on Monday, it will be the England bowlers’ turn to show their aggression and try their best to subdue the Indian batters, who need 135 more runs to win.
