Jasprit Bumrah wins hearts with special gesture for Gabba hero Mohammed Siraj: WATCH

India's ongoing tour of Australia, irrespective of how it might end, will live in the hearts of fans and players for decades to come. The long-drawn series will be well remembered for many reasons: the odd circumstances it has been held under, Kohli's leave halfway through the series, the grit and determination of a battered Indian team in the third Test and hopefully, another trophy retention Down Under. Many young Indian players have used the long list of injuries to senior player to make a strong case for themselves going forward, and Mohammed Siraj has been one of them. 

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Mohammed Siraj's gritty five-for earns Jasprit Bumrah's respect

From coming into the tour as a second-choice Test bowler to leading the Indian bowling lineup in the India vs Australia 4th Test, Mohammed Siraj has had somewhat of a bittersweet tour. The 26-year-old pacer lost his father early in the tour, but knowing that if he went back, he would probably not play a single game, Siraj made the tough decision to stay back. After missing out on the entire white-ball series, Siraj made his Test debut for the Indian team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the India vs Australia 2nd Test. Knowing that chances would come far and few in between, Siraj finished the game with 5 wickets for 77 runs.

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With a slightly less successful outing in Sydney, that saw him take just 2 wickets for an expensive 157 runs, Siraj was suddenly handed the entire leadership of the bowling squad after Jasprit Bumrah's injury. A 'veteran' of just three tests, leading a party of four other newbies, Siraj seemed to buckle under the pressure in the 1st innings, giving away 77 runs for just 1 wicket. However, Siraj seems to have been inspired after the courageous Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar partnership restored India's hopes of taking the match to a draw, or perhaps even a win.

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Siraj wickets recap at India vs Australia 4th test

Walking into the middle Siraj & Co. would have hoped to restrict Australia to as little as possible. With the openers looking set, sudden batting superstar Shardul Thakur struck first to remove Marcus Harris. Sundar then took out a dangerous looking David Warner. And then the Siraj dominance began. In the space of three balls, Siraj had done away with the series' highest scorer, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade. He then took on Steve Smith to clean up the Aussie middle order before coming back into action and destroying the tail end. 

Ending with figures of 5/73, Siraj received a guard of honour as he led the team out on Day 4. One of the most heartwarming moments was when the camera caught Jasprit Bumrah hugging Siraj with unbridled happiness at the rare feat that he had just achieved. India will now try to chase 328 as they come out on Day 5. 

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Image credits: Screenshot from BCCI video