Election Commission Uses India's 6-Run Win Against England To Encourage Voting

Thirteen months ago, when India beat South Africa in the final of the ICC World T20, Mohammad Siraj, in an after-match interview, said: "I only believe in Jassi bhai". On Monday, when he walked onto The Oval, England needed 35 runs to win, and they had four wickets in hand. Siraj, who didn't play that final against the Proteas in June 2024, didn't have Jasprit Bumrah with him today. And he told himself: "Believe in yourself." He picked up a fifer and India beat England by six runs to win the fifth and final Test of the series.

What looked like a sure-shot English victory on day four turned into a dramatic collapse as Siraj led India to one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent memory. With this win, India levelled the five-match series 2-2, capping off an unforgettable contest.

And much like the fans, the Election Commission has tapped into the excitement surrounding the win to promote democratic participation, comparing the win to voting.

"Team India wins the 5th Test by just 6 runs! Edge-of-the-seat stuff, because every run is a game-changer. In a democracy, every vote counts just as much. Every eligible elector must enrol in the electoral roll!" they wrote on X.

???? Team India wins the 5th Test by just 6 runs!
Edge-of-the-seat stuff, because every run is a game-changer.

In a democracy, every vote counts just as much.

✅ Every Eligible Elector must Enroll in the Electoral Roll!

???? @BCCI#INDvsENGTest #OvalTest #TeamIndia #SIR #Bihar pic.twitter.com/K04S3IA6W7

— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 4, 2025

Enrolling in the electoral roll means registering yourself as a voter in the country's official list of eligible voters.

The Commission's message comes as it carries out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, ahead of state assembly elections due later this year. The drive, which saw a 99.8 per cent participation, collected around 7.24 crore registration forms.

The revision led to the removal of approximately 65.6 lakh names from the rolls, mainly classified as dead, duplicate, migrated, or untraceable, leaving 7.24 crore electors in the draft list released on August 1.

Opposition parties have slammed the exclusion of Aadhaar, Voter ID (EPIC), and ration cards as valid documents in the voter roll revision process. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the case and has warned it will intervene if it detects large-scale removal of eligible voters. Earlier, the Court directed the Election Commission to accept these commonly used IDs during the SIR.

Coming back to the match, the fifth Test match delivered high drama as England, chasing a formidable target of 374, were in cruise control mode.

With tons from Joe Root and Harry Brook, the hosts crossed the 300-run mark and seemed well on course for a memorable win. 

A stunning reversal followed.

Mohammed Siraj delivered a fiery spell, tightening the screws when it mattered most. England's batting order crumbled under pressure, losing their last seven wickets for only 66 runs.

Finishing the match, India bowled them out for 367, securing victory by a razor-thin margin of six runs, their narrowest in red ball cricket.

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also celebrated Mohammed Siraj's stellar performance with a tweet in Hyderabadi slang, "Poora khol diye Pasha," meaning Siraj was at his absolute best. The fast bowler, who took 23 wickets in the five-match series and five in the final innings, was named Man of the Match.