London, Aug 4 After being adjudged as England’s Player of the Series, right-handed batter Harry Brook acknowledged that India pacer Mohammed Siraj had a phenomenal time in the series, adding that he has a lot of respect for the fast-bowler’s exploits in the last six weeks.
On day five’s play, Siraj went from dropping Brook catch’s on 19 to rocking Gus Atkinson's off-stump to end up with a sensational 5-104 and helped India seal an extraordinary six-run win in the fifth Test and force a 2-2 series draw in the first edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Siraj also finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 scalps. "We came into the day very confident. We had two very good players out there and I thought we were going to easily see it home."
"But the way the Indians fought back and the way Siraj bowled, it deserved every success. Siraj has played five Test matches in a row, bowling 85mph every delivery. He’s had a phenomenal series, and I respect what he’s done this series a lot. He was always going to get us out, so massive credit to him," said Brook in the post-match presentation ceremony.
He also felt the five-match riveting series served as a good advertisement for Test cricket. "There are so many things you can think in hindsight. We were going really well, a couple of big overs there when I got out and the game was done. Hindsight’s a beautiful thing, now that I think about it, I probably shouldn’t have played that shot.”
“We’ve seen through this whole series there have been a lot of collapses where we’ve got six wickets for 50 runs or vice versa, so it (the ending) was fitting. It’s been an awesome series, a very intense series. After every game we’ve all been absolutely knackered.”
“We’ve put everything on the line, haven’t left anything out there. It’s been awesome to be part of, even that finish there. I know we are on the wrong side of it but it’s such a good advert for Test cricket and hopefully people will carry on watching it,” concluded Brook.
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