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Rohan Chowdhury, London
When Akash Deep walked out to bat, at the Kia Oval, on Day 3 of the ongoing England versus India Test series, few could have predicted what was to follow. The pacer defied expectations, battling it out for nearly two hours at the crease and scoring an impressive 66 — a knock that not only frustrated the English bowlers but also turned heads back home.
To better understand Akash’s batting prowess, RevSportz reached out to former Bengal captain Saurasish Lahiri, who had coached Akash during his Bengal U-23 days. Saurasish is currently in Kolkata.
Saurasish traces his first encounter with Akash to the 2016–17 season, during a friendly match. He recalls being immediately struck by Akash’s batting talent. Since that day, Saurasish had “tremendous faith” in his ward’s batting abilities and believes Akash has been under-utilising his talent with the bat.
“I was also very disappointed so far because I knew he has the ability to deliver much more with the bat,” said Saurasish.
Reflecting briefly on Akash’s contributions with the bat for the national side, Saurasish pointed out “poor selection of shots” had previously held him back from producing the kind of innings he’s truly capable of. “Yes, better late than never,” remarked the Bengal U-19 and U-23 coach, adding that consistency is now the key.
“He has to put a price on his wicket. Sometimes I feel so bad that he doesn’t understand his batting potential and doesn’t take it seriously.”
Saurasish fondly remembers witnessing Akash’s batting for the first time — against a strong Mumbai team. It was an exhibition match in Visakhapatnam where Akash smashed a quickfire 58 off 25 balls and also took a five-wicket haul. “That Mumbai side had names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tanush Kotian,” Saurasish recalled.
Akash also impressed in a Vinoo Mankad Trophy fixture, again against Mumbai, this time at the Eden Gardens. “He went on to play a knock of 51 in a struggling situation, which actually was vital for us winning that match,” expressed Saurasish.
Another performance etched in Saurasish’s memory came during the 2020 Ranji Trophy semi-final against Karnataka. Akash Deep partnered with Anustup Majumdar, who went on to score a brilliant 149. Akash provided valuable support with a composed 44 off 72 delivieries.
“These knocks actually make you believe that he can bat,” said Saurasish. “Anustup’s 150 (149) was possible because of the support that Akash gave in those difficult conditions.”
Saurasish also drew a parallel from his own playing days. “I got my first-class century coming on as a night-watchman,” he recalled.
He explains that while the primary role of a night-watcher is to survive the day, that mindset must change once the player returns to the crease the next morning. “When the player comes to face the ball on the next day, the approach should be of a batter and take the game forward,” he said, praising Akash’s recent innings. “What I liked about his knock was that he showed courage and stayed on the pitch with that intent.”
India’s lower order has long faced scrutiny — a concern once again evident in this series. “The experience that I’ve gained as a player and as a coach, I’ve realised that to win a multi-day cricket match, the lower order has to contribute,” asserted Saurasish.
He emphasised how the tail-end not only adds runs but also wears down the opposition mentally. “They start preparing mentally for batting, and whenever the lower order keeps delaying that, it adds on to the frustration of the opposition.” Something that Josh Tongue affirmed in the press conference. “Yes, it was frustrating when Akash was piling up on the runs and we tried different ways to get him out”, he mentioned in the presser.
Referring to Akash’s knock as a night-watcher, Saurasish endorsed him as a valuable asset to the Indian lower order. “He can add to those lower-order twenties and thirties.”
But why hasn’t Akash taken his batting more seriously? Is his singular focus on bowling the reason?
“I can understand his perspective because I had faced it myself,” said Saurasish, candidly. He shared how he used to be a decent batter at first, gradually the focus shifted to becoming a specialist bowler. “Later did I realise the importance of batting contributions and how much it impacts your chance in the team.”
Saurasish believes that every time a player walks out to bat, they must think like a batter. “The intent is important to add on to the scoreboard by their own best capacity.”
“He batted with this intent and he scored — and if he can maintain this, he’ll contribute to the team’s cause even more,” Saurasish said of Akash’s recent performance.
“Of course, bowling will be his first priority, but I firmly believe if he takes his batting a bit more seriously — because I know he has that ability — he’ll be invaluable to the Indian team,” concluded Saurasish.
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