He may not be aware, but here’s how Cristiano Ronaldo made Mohammed Siraj ‘believe’
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It is no secret that India's pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj idolises football great Cristiano Ronaldo. He is one of the few, if not the only, elite bowlers to copy the Portuguese legend's Siuu celebration when he bags a wicket.
On Monday, shortly after delivering a player-of-the-match performance in India's 6-run win over England at the fifth Test at The Oval, Siraj revealed how he drew inspiration from Ronaldo before entering the ground.
"Usually I get up at 8 am, today I woke up at 6. Then I kept thinking, so I got on Google, took this image and made it my wallpaper," Siraj said, holding up his phone to display the wallpaper, which had a graphic of Ronaldo celebrating a goal with the words 'Believe' flashed across.
"I knew I could do it," Siraj said about the five-wicket haul, including the three strikes inside an hour on the final day that turned the game in India's favour.
"I always say be honest in your game and believe that you can do it. Belief is very important for a professional player, nothing is possible without it," Siraj said.
"I have worked hard with good intentions, and I don't wish bad for anyone. When you are one of the 11 to be selected from 1.4 billion, it is a big thing. I always think about how I can perform the best for my country."