Reflecting on India’s five-Test tour of England, the pacer remarked that England’s strategy of preparing flat tracks to favour Bazball ultimately backfired.
Across the series, Akash Deep claimed 13 wickets in three Tests, with his standout performance coming at Edgbaston where he registered figures of 6/99 and completed a memorable ten-wicket haul. However, his impact waned later in the series as a hip injury, sustained during and after the Lord’s Test, hampered his effectiveness.
With the bat, he contributed significantly too, hitting a resilient half-century at The Oval to deepen England’s frustration in the final stages.
Akash Deep Reflects on His Crucial Knock at the Oval Test
While Akash Deep had a quiet outing with the ball at the Oval Test in England—claiming just two wickets across both innings—he left a lasting mark with the bat. His gritty knock of 66 in the second innings turned the tide for India when the team was under pressure.
With KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan dismissed early, Akash Deep steadied the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, who went on to score 118. Their 107-run partnership for the third wicket, backed by half-centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, helped India post 396 and set England a daunting target of 374.
Recalling his innings, Deep revealed that he was carrying an injury during the game:
“I had a niggle in my thigh while bowling and couldn’t bowl at full rhythm. But since we had only two or three fast bowlers, I had to push through. Then I was asked to go in as a night watchman. My mindset was simple—‘don’t get out.’ If we managed to frustrate England’s three-man attack by batting longer, they would lose patience. Once that happens, discipline with the ball drops. That was my thought process.”
On his approach the following morning, he added:
“I stuck to the same mindset—ball by ball, just survive. I wasn’t even thinking about runs. But as I stayed in, the runs kept coming. That fifty was built purely on patience and focus.”
Akash Deep: India’s bowlers then sealed the thrilling contest. Mohammed Siraj’s five-wicket haul and Prasidh Krishna’s four wickets bundled England out for 367, securing a six-run win for India and leveling the series 2-2.
