The home ground was ours, not theirs: Mohammed Siraj on how Virat Kohli inspired India to a historic win at Lord’s

Back in 2021, Lord’s proved to be the latest addition to India’s glistening exploits in the whites as they drubbed England in remarkable fashion and made the impossible happen. RCB’s ace quick, Mohammed Siraj was a crucial part of the team and enforced brutal agony upon the English hosts, bagging 4 wickets in both the first and the second innings of the match.

Defending a 271-run target in the final innings, India managed to force England into submission and when the telling blow was dealt by Siraj himself, the crowd erupted into frenzied exhilarations as India scripted history in the Home of Cricket. In a teaser of what is going to be the full episode of Mohammed Siraj talking at length on the RCB Podcast Season 2, the RCB fast bowler opened up on what was the exact mindset of the team and how Virat Kohli uplifted their spirits in the face of a ginormous challenge.

Siraj said, “There was a point in time where we were reeling at 175 for the loss of 7. The only prayer in the dressing room was that we cross the 200 run mark. Somehow, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah stitched together a crucial partnership that helped India to post a significant total on the scorecard. The score went beyond 275 and we knew that we were going to give our best.”

He continued, “Such was the finesse of the partnership that when Jassi and Shami came back to the dressing room, we were literally banging the dinner table at Lord’s to welcome them. The feeling was entirely different. Then we chose to declare. That is when Virat Kohli said that we have 60 overs. Whatever we could, we will have to squeeze our 100 percent in the field. We will have to show them that those 60 overs should feel like hell.”

Siraj also added, “When someone tells you like that, there is altogether a different brand of aggression that sets in. We all know how aggressive Virat is and more importantly he rubs it onto others. We were asked to make the batters feel what is going on at that moment. We must make them feel that the home ground was ours, not theirs.”