Mohammed Siraj Wasting Reviews Unnecessarily at Old Trafford Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans

Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have been disappointing, failing to take a wicket so far in the fourth Test against England.

Mohammed Siraj Wasting Reviews Unnecessarily at Old Trafford Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans

Mohammed Siraj has already wasted two reviews in the fourth Test against England, at Old Trafford. (via Outlook India)

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Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj has drawn the ire of cricket fans after squandering two crucial reviews while bowling in the first innings of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. Siraj’s first poor review was on Zak Crawley, followed by another failed review for Joe Root.

Mohammed Siraj has had his moments in the India-England five-match Test series, which marks the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. The 31-year-old currently stands as India’s highest wicket-taker in the ongoing series, having claimed 12 wickets at a decent bowling average, in his three appearances as play continues in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.

The 31-year-old pacer managed to scalp only two wickets in the series opener at Headingley, a match India went on to lose by six wickets. With Jasprit Bumrah absent in the second Test at Edgbaston, Siraj displayed his best form, securing an impressive six-wicket haul in the first innings on a pitch that offered very little assistance to bowlers. He then picked up another wicket in the second innings, helping India clinch a dominant 336-run victory.

The high-octane Lord’s Test saw Siraj claim another four wickets, even as India suffered a disappointing 22-run loss. Siraj himself was involved in some on-field banter, with his aggressive celebration in Ben Duckett’s face after taking his wicket even leading to an ICC penalty. In the second innings of the third Test, Siraj also convinced Shubman Gill to take an unlikely review, which resulted Ollie Pope’s dismissal.

However, the right-arm pacer’s luck with DRS seems to have run out in the fourth Test. In the first innings alone, Siraj’s ill-judged insistence has led to India losing two critical reviews. The first mistaken call came on Day 2, in the 12th over of England’s innings, when he opted to review after his delivery hit Zak Crawley on the back pad. Siraj convinced Shubman Gill to go for it, but ball tracking subsequently revealed that the ball would bounce well over the middle-stump.

Adding to this string of poor reviews, Siraj, in the 52nd over, once again urged Gill to review one of his deliveries, which had hit Joe Root on his pad and deflected for a leg-bye boundary. Out of India’s three reviews, Siraj’s miscalculation resulted in the loss of yet another one, as the ball pitched outside and was missing the stumps entirely. In both these cases, the on-field umpire had initially given it not-out.

Meanwhile, Joe Root, who was taking a run at the time, collided with a distracted Siraj, knocking off the pacer’s fitness band. The Englishman went on to complete his century on the third day, while also etching his name in the record books.

Mohammed Siraj’s Review Blunders at Old Trafford Draws Fans’ Anger

Mohammed Siraj’s wasted review blunders in the first innings of India’s must-win fourth Test against England at Old Trafford have left fans angry. The 31-year-old unnecessarily exhausted two of India’s three reviews, despite the on-field umpire declaring the batter not out in both instances.

Mohammed Siraj fans
Mohammed Siraj was slammed by fans on social media, for his two review blunders in Manchester Test. (via TV9)

Many fans termed the Hyderabad bowler as the ‘worst reviewer’ in history, since the inception of the DRS technology. One fan even urged Indian captain Shubman Gill to ignore Siraj’s review calls, claiming it could contribute to Gill’s success as a captain. Some fans pointed out that Siraj had previously revealed himself to be an emotional player, suggesting this might explain his insistent review calls.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for Siraj, as he is yet to take a wicket in the fourth Test match. England, meanwhile, look all set to set a massive first-innings total, having already surpassed India’s 358 runs.