While Gautam Gambhir named England’s Harry Brook as his Player of the Series, Brendon McCullum had initially leaned towards India captain Shubman Gill. In fact, according to Dinesh Karthik, Gill was all but confirmed for the honour at the end of Day 4 of the fifth Test at The Oval.
“If the match had ended on Day 4, Shubman Gill would’ve been the Player of the Series. Brendon McCullum had said it. Atherton was ready with the questions,” Karthik on Cricbuzz.
But everything changed on Day 5.
Mohammed Siraj turned the game on its head with a fiery spell, picking three of the four wickets India needed to pull off a historic six-run win—India’s narrowest-ever in Test cricket. That performance made McCullum reconsider.
“In just 30-40 minutes, Baz changed his mind and picked Siraj,” said Karthik. “He even praised him in the Sky Sports post-match show.”
McCullum didn’t hold back his admiration either. “He’s got that spirit you want in a fast bowler,” he said. “Every time he had the ball, there was energy. It meant something to him. That was one of those spells that can change a series—and today, it did.”
Siraj, often seen as Bumrah’s understudy, stood tall in the series—especially when Bumrah was rested. For Karthik, this was Siraj’s statement as a match-winner.
“This was a bat-dominated series, but Siraj gave everything, every day,” he said. “When Bumrah didn’t play, Siraj showed he’s ready to lead.”
Karthik added, “In Australia, Siraj bowled better with the old ball. In England, when India needed a leader with the new ball, he stepped up. India won two Tests without Bumrah. That’s no knock on Bumrah, he’s a genius,but it proves Siraj can rise beyond.”