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Not Gill! McCullum Chose Siraj As Player Of Series; Karthik Reveals Last-Minute Drama

Akshita Patel

Brendon McCullum was confused for POTS choice [Source: @Cric_records45,@SkyCricket/X.com]Brendon McCullum was confused for POTS choice [Source: @Cric_records45,@SkyCricket/X.com]

In a surprising revelation after India’s thrilling win in the 5th Test at The Oval, Dinesh Karthik revealed that England coach Brendon McCullum wanted Mohammed Siraj, not Shubman Gill, as his Player of the Series nominee. His choice changed drastically after Siraj picked a fifer on Day 5.

The fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Oval saw an epic, dramatic end. Despite needing just 35 runs to win on Day 5, England lost 4 wickets to Siraj and Prasidh Krishna as India clinched a miraculous victory by just 6 runs.

Dinesh Karthik Claims McCullum Had A Change Of Heart On Siraj

After the series ended in a 2-2 draw, captain Shubman Gill was awarded Player of the Series from India for scoring 754 runs in 10 innings. However, former cricketer and commentator Dinesh Karthik made a stunning revelation.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said England’s head coach Brendon McCullum had already chosen Gill as his pick for POTS after Day 4. This decision was passed on to broadcaster Mike Atherton, who prepared the entire presentation with questions for Gill. 

“If the match had gotten over yesterday (Day 4), Shubman Gill was the man of the series. Brendon McCullum had said Shubman Gill. And obviously, Atherton was the one doing the presentation. So, he had all the questions ready. Everything was for Shubman Gill. Match got over today and Baz McCullum turned it around in a matter of half an hour, 40 minutes to Mohammed Siraj purely for the drama that unfolded on Day 5," Karthik said.

But Siraj’s explosive performance on Day 5 completely changed things. McCullum was so impressed by Siraj’s impact that he wanted to change his vote. Unfortunately, the presentation had already been finalised with Gill as POTS. 

Siraj, who took 5 wickets in the second innings and a total of 9 in the match, turned the game on its head and helped India level the series 2-2. He also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 23 wickets.

DK Wanted Siraj To Take The Player Of The Series 

While McCullum couldn’t change his vote, Dinesh Karthik opined that if given a chance, he would’ve handed over the Player of the Series trophy to Mohammed Siraj. 

"Make no mistake. I would've given the award to Mohammed Siraj even if the match got over yesterday. This is a five-Test match series where bat has dominated the ball. It’s been hard work. And this boy has come in running every day of the series, when given the ball, with his heart out. When Bumrah didn’t play, Siraj stepped up and showed what it takes to win," he added.

In a series where the bat dominated the ball, the Indian pacer worked hard and bowled tireless spells to shine through. Just for his sheer passion and commitment throughout the gruelling 5 Tests, Siraj deserved the award, opined Karthik.