“I believe in Jassi Bhai,” Mohammed Siraj had said after India’s T20 World Cup win. But today, there was no Jassi Bhai. No Jasprit Bumrah to lean on. India stood at the edge, going into the last match trailing 1-2 down. One last chance to save the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and all eyes were on Siraj.

And deliver he did.

Across the series, he bowled 185 overs, never dropping below 130 kmph. And when the final wicket stood between India and a chance at redemption, he tore in one last time — at 143 kmph in his 186th over. Gus Atkinson had no answer. The stump was rattled to give Siraj his fifth wicket of the innings and 23rd of the series, the highest by any bowler.

Later, in a voice filled with both excitement and calmness, he said what his bowling had already screamed:

“I believe in myself, and I always believe I can win the game in any situation”.

No Jassi Bhai. No excuses.

Of the five wickets Siraj took, three came on the final day as India edged out England by just six runs, their narrowest Test victory ever, levelling the series 2-2 in a contest that will be spoken of in heartbeats, not scorecards, even though the numbers, too, told India’s story.

But Siraj was not alone. Prasidh Krishna delivered four crucial wickets that gave India stability amid all the chaos.

Together, they turned a crumbling moment into a triumph. An edge-of-the-seat finish powered by pace, resolve, and the kind of belief you would get from a yellow poster above a locker room door that would make Coach Lasso proud.

This was redemption, this was an uphill battle that India knew they had to win.