For Mohammed Siraj, India’s dramatic six-run victory at The Oval on Monday began long before the first ball was bowled. At six in the morning, hours ahead of play, the fast bowler picked up his phone and searched for a wallpaper with the word “Believe.” What he found was a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United colours. It became his lock screen, his mantra for the day.

“I usually wake up at eight o’clock, but today I got up early. So, I Googled this picture and downloaded it, because I knew I could do it for my country. It’s important to believe in yourself,” Siraj said after taking five wickets and leading India to victory in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy decider.

With Jasprit Bumrah playing only three Tests in the series due to workload management, Siraj shouldered the responsibility of leading India’s pace attack. Across five matches, he bowled 185.3 overs—1,113 deliveries in total—and finished as the leading wicket-taker with 23 dismissals. His performances provided India the edge they needed to claim the series on English soil.

“To be honest, my body is fine right now, because there have been almost 187 overs in this series. But you play for your country, and you give your everything, and then you don’t think about whether you bowled six overs or nine overs,” Siraj reflected. “I believe that I bowl every ball for the country and not for myself.”

Earlier in the year, Siraj had been the supporting act, picking up 20 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy while Bumrah led the charge. This time, the roles reversed, and Siraj thrived in the spotlight. “When Jassi bhai was performing, my aim was to build those partnerships with him, because I did not want to leak runs. But I know that I can pick up wickets from any situation,” he said.

The journey wasn’t without setbacks. In the third Test at Lord’s, Siraj endured heartbreak as India fell short in a tight finish. Later at The Oval, he suffered another blow when he overstepped the boundary rope while catching Harry Brook, who went on to score a century. “After Lord’s Test and that dropped catch of Brook, I asked myself why such things always happen to me? But then, the Almighty has written some good things about me as well,” Siraj said, holding his medal with a smile.

For India, and for Siraj, the Oval victory was about resilience. And for the fast bowler, it was also about a simple word on his phone screen—“Believe.”