Debutant Akash Deep has shared insights into the advice Jasprit Bumrah offered him following his memorable debut in the fourth Test against England in Ranchi.
Making his Test debut in Ranchi on Friday, Akash replaced Bumrah in the lineup and made an immediate impact by rattling the England top-order in the first session of the game. His early strikes left England struggling at 58 for 3 within the first hour of play.
“I wasn’t nervous. I had discussed with my coaches beforehand, so I approached the game without any tension. I always treat every game as if it’s my last and give my best. Bumrah bhai advised me to adjust the length slightly in international cricket, and that’s precisely what I did,” Akash told the host broadcaster at the end of the day’s play.
Bowling with the new ball, Akash Deep quickly left his mark by dislodging Zak Crawley’s off-stump. However, his jubilation was short-lived as had overstepped. Despite the setback, he eventually got his revenge by dismissing Crawley, though he expressed disappointment over the initial no-ball.
“I felt disappointed about the no-ball. I was concerned that it might impact the team’s fortunes since Crawley was batting well,” he confessed.
The right-arm seamer noted that while there was some assistance early on, the ball lost its shine quickly, and the pitch slowed down.
“There was some assistance early on, but as the game progressed, the ball lost its hardness, and the pitch became slower. Our strategy was to maintain tight lines and lengths,” Akash added.
England opener Zak Crawley, meanwhile, praised Joe Root’s remarkable return to form after the Yorkshireman scored an unbeaten 106, putting his team in a strong position at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi.
“We’re thrilled for him, and we never had any doubts. If anything, we know that when he has a couple of low scores, he is even more likely to score big, and we expected that from him. He is exceptional, and he is one of the best we’ve ever had playing for England,” Crawley remarked.
Regarding the conditions, Crawley noted that the new ball was moving around, making it challenging for the batsmen during his brief stint at the crease. He also commended his team-mates for coping well with the difficult conditions, despite the initial struggles in the morning session.
“It was moving a lot and quite quickly,” Crawley explained. “I tried to approach my innings normally at the start, but it was difficult with the ball swinging. I felt there was one with my name on it. So we had to fight back, and myself and Jonny did that really well. Then it became easier, but the spin was tricky for the middle-order batsmen, and they handled it brilliantly. They assessed the situation and played exceptionally well.”
Crawley also lauded Akash for his impressive debut in international cricket.
“Yes, he (Akash) is a skiddy bowler who maintained a good line and length. He posed a challenge in the opening session,” Crawley told WION.