On Day 1 of the fourth Test in Ranchi, there was plenty of action on and off the field. Off the field, at around 9 AM, there were massive queues outside the ticket counters. There was some bedlam as well. For a while, there were only two queues. Then, there were three and it soon became four. Some of the fans were even climbing over the wooden bar in order to cross over to the next line.
For a moment, you marvelled at the sheer enthusiasm of the fans to pick up tickets for a Test match. But at the same time, you wondered whether the fans deserved something slightly better. As you mulled about the situation outside the stadium, there was a lot of action happening inside it too. Akash Deep, the big-hearted pace bowler from Bengal, had just started to operate in his own zone.
To get a better picture of the Akash-Zone, zoom the lens on the fifth ball off the third over: The ball nipped back off the seam from a good length appreciably. It also hastened off the deck to send the stumps somersaulting in the air.
It is true that the peach from Akash didn’t result in a wicket as he had overstepped. But that particular delivery was akin to a warning signal to the English batters that Akash’s bowling was suited to the cracked-up surface. By then, it was quite evident that he didn’t just have the required tools, but he had also found the near-perfect length for the prevailing conditions. Later, Akash credited his senior pace colleague, Jasprit Bumrah, for advising him to drag his length back a touch before the game.
The vigour of Akash-Zone wasn’t affected by the minor setback. He continued to target the stumps and hit the indentations to extract constant movement off the deck. He also twinned nip-backers with a few out-swingers to keep his opponents guessing. It seemed just like a matter of time before he would be rewarded.
Ultimately, in the 10th over, he got one to straighten off the seam and forced Ben Duckett to edge it behind. And this time around, his celebrations weren’t short-lived, as his front foot was behind the line. A couple of deliveries later, he had more to celebrate: On the back of an excellent review by Rohit Sharma, Ollie Pope was sent back to the hut. Akash then reserved his best for the man that he had already castled once: Crawley. It was yet another of those trademark nip-backers, that jagged back to disturb the woodwork.
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— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) February 23, 2024
It also brings into question what is being in a zone all about? Maybe it is related to being in some kind of an auto-mode, where talent has been married with intuition and muscle memory. What made it even better was Akash bowled with an uncluttered mind and found his groove in his first spell on his Test debut.
Perhaps Akash’s indomitable spirit can be connected to some of his past experiences because of which nothing seems to faze him. Right from his father not encouraging him to take up cricket and family tragedies, he has had to face his share of hardships. But Akash never gave up and steadily made his way through the ranks.
On February 23, 2024, the dream of wearing the India cap materialised, when Rahul Dravid, the head coach, handed him his coveted possession. An hour or so later, he was the toast of the fans not just inside the stadium but also those who were standing in the queues and watching Akash exhibit his skills via live streaming.
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