India, Aug. 2 -- As soon as he disturbed Harry Brook's stumps via the inside edge on Friday evening, Mohammed Siraj took off on a celebratory run that culminated in a perfect Cristiano Ronaldo post-goal pirouette. The exuberance of the Hyderabadi, an unabashed fan of the Portuguese superstar, stemmed not from becoming the leading wicket-taker this series, but for stepping up to the plate again in Jasprit Bumrah's absence to reignite India's hopes of sharing honours.

Within the team, he goes by jigra; his bag of skills is enormous and enviable, but even that pales in comparison with the size of his heart. In rain or shine, on pitches responsive and heart-breaking, he steams in ball after ball, over after enervating over, without a drop in...