Mohammed Siraj Faces Crowd Mockery During Manchester Test Against England

In the ongoing fourth Test at Old Trafford, Mohammed Siraj was mocked by the English crowd after a disappointing bowling performance. India, facing a daunting 311-run deficit, struggled to contain England's batsmen, who posted a massive total of 669. As India began their second innings, they faced early setbacks, losing two wickets without scoring. Captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul steadied the innings, but the challenge remains steep as they aim to avoid an innings defeat. Read on for a detailed account of the match.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 26, 2025, 21:28 IST

Siraj Endures Taunts from English Fans

During Day 4 of the ongoing fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford on July 26, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj found himself the target of ridicule from a segment of the English crowd.

After enduring a challenging first innings where England's Ben Stokes (141) and Joe Root (150) dominated, India managed to dismiss the hosts for 669 runs. This left India with a daunting 311-run deficit to overcome in their second innings, intensifying the pressure as the match approached its conclusion.

India's bowling performance was lackluster, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar each conceding over 100 runs. This allowed the English batsmen to build a substantial first-innings total with little resistance, taking advantage of the Indian bowlers' inability to apply consistent pressure.

The English Crowd Shows No Mercy to Siraj

As India struggled with their bowling in the first innings, Mohammed Siraj was subjected to a derogatory chant from a group of English spectators present at Old Trafford.

A viral video captured the moment when Siraj was fielding near the boundary. Upon recognizing him, the crowd began chanting mockingly, targeting his performance.

The chant went: "He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, Mohammed Siraj is always sh*te," aimed at ridiculing the Indian pacer for his inconsistent bowling.

He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, Mohammed Siraj… 🤪 @TheBarmyArmy

— Patrick Smith (@PatSmithSport) July 24, 2025

Siraj struggled to maintain his line and length, resulting in an erratic performance. Although he took the wicket of Chris Woakes, he ended up conceding 140 runs at an economy rate of 4.70 over his 30 overs, marking the most expensive spell of his Test career, surpassing his previous record of 2/122 against England in the first Test of this series at Headingley.

India Faces a Steep Challenge in Second Innings

Entering their second innings, India faced a significant challenge with a 311-run deficit. In their first innings, they were dismissed for 358 runs, while England capitalized on their batting to post a massive total of 669, leaving India with a tough task to avoid an innings defeat.

As they began their second innings, India encountered early difficulties, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan for ducks, both dismissed by Chris Woakes in the opening over, leaving India at 0/2.

Following Sudharsan's dismissal, captain Shubman Gill joined KL Rahul at the crease. The duo stabilized the innings, guiding India past the 50-run mark. Gill adopted an aggressive approach against the English bowlers, reaching his fifty before the Tea break.

By the end of the second session, India had scored 86 runs for the loss of 2 wickets, with Shubman Gill and KL Rahul at the crease on scores of 52 and 30, respectively, trailing by 225 runs against England's first-innings lead.