Former Team India cricketers Sanjay Bangar and Varun Aaron have praised Akash Deep’s fighting half-century on Day 3 of the ongoing final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.
Akash Deep came in as a nightwatchman towards the end of Day 2. He did his job by remaining unbeaten at stumps. But on Day 3, he played an absolute gem of an innings, frustrating England almost throughout the entire first session.
Not only did he register his maiden Test half-century, but he also showcased remarkable composure and technique. He handled every bowler with confidence, and his brilliant knock of 66 came off 94 balls, including 12 fours.
Talking about his innings, Bangar said on commentary: “Those smiles says it all and it’s not only the smiles from the Dressing Room but even from the crowd because the crowd would be saying to the people who are sitting alongside them, those who are supporting the English team that you can’t dismiss our number 9, number 10 and a rare smile from Gautam Gambhir’s face as well.”
Aaron also heaped high praise on Akash Deep, saying: “100%, the Night Watchman has done overtime and he has been paid in the form of a 50. The biggest payday when it comes to Akash Deep in his batting career was a Test 50. This is as big as a batsman scoring a triple hundred. The way Test teams celebrate their tail-enders’ 50s is second to none.”
Alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Akash Deep stitched a partnership of 107 runs that gave India a solid foundation to build a big total. India finished with 189/3 at lunch on Day 3, with a lead of 166 runs.
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