On Day 2 of the third Test at Lord’s, Mohammed Siraj endured a frustrating spell - twice being robbed of wickets by Jamie Smith - as England recovered from 4 down. In a bid to change his luck, Siraj resorted to a quirky cricketing superstition: he approached the non-striker’s end and swapped the bails, a move famously used by Virat Kohli .

The first chance saw KL Rahul drop a crucial chance at slip; engagement with Smith ensued when an edged delivery narrowly missed hitting the stumps two overs later . Frustrated, Siraj walked down to the non-striker’s end and flipped the bails, hoping to shift momentum. The tactic didn’t bear instant fruit, but it echoed past instances - Stuart Broad, Nathan Lyon, and Kohli have all employed the same ritual in Tests .

Moments later, Siraj struck, dismissing Smith for 51 and breaking his wicketless drought. The “bail flip” act, whether superstition or psychological ploy, worked its charm, offering a rare wicket and adding theatrical flair to Siraj’s bowling spell.