Test cricket has its own set of subtleties. The fortunes of a tantalisingly-poised match can oscillate due to moisture coming into play, or the surface getting a little drier. Even a change in the direction of winds could make a difference in relation to conventional swing bowling. In such a backdrop, it is important to strike the right balance while picking a playing XI.
Ahead of India’s two-match Test series against South Africa, the home side’s selection panel seem to have played their cards quite well, picking a strong squad. When compared to India’s Test squad for the West Indies series, there has been one notable change: The selection of Akash Deep over Prasidh Krishna, the two pace bowlers who acted as the supporting cast to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the England Tests.
The first thoughts on this change could be that the selectors are a tad unfair on Prasidh: The tall pace bowler bagged eight scalps in the Oval Test, helping India to a memorable victory. Meanwhile, Akash could only take two scalps, with both of them coming on the back of batters eyeing the aggressive route. Prasidh also didn’t partake in either of the two games versus the West Indies.
However, for a moment remove the outside coating and you will know the reasoning behind the change. Akash, who was troubled by a niggle or two in England, proved his fitness by playing in the Ranji Trophy. More importantly, his skiddy style of bowling is best suited to the conditions at home. He also attacks the stumps a lot more than Prasidh. To summarise, on wickets that stay on the lower side, his methods could turn out to be successful.
To capsulise the point further, just zoom in on his zestful spells against Andhra’s Hanuma Vihari in a Ranji Trophy game played in 2019-20. Vihari, who by then had represented India in Test cricket, was clearly struggling to negotiate the skiddy Akash and his trait to attack the stumps.
Around four years later, in his debut Test, he did something similar in Ranchi. On a track where enough deliveries were staying on the lower side, Akash dismissed Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley, England’s top-order batters. In particular, the wicket of Crawley gave ample evidence of his abilities: It skidded though, nipped back off the seam sharply and rattled the off-stump. Something similar happened with Ollie Pope. Just that, it turned out to be an LBW. For the left-hand Duckett, he employed the round-the-wicket angle to nip one back into the batter and then for it to straighten and take the edge.
The recently concluded Edgbaston Test between India and England turned out to be Akash’s annus-mirabilis moment. On a deck that resembled more like a wicket from the subcontinent, he employed all his fast-bowling weapons – Shifting from over the wicket to a round-the-wicket angle, using the crease, and hitting the cracks that had developed in the second innings. He also has a nice loose wrist action. So, at the nth moment, Akash perhaps imparts more revs on the ball than some others.
The keynote to take from that game was whenever Prasidh bowled back of a length in the second innings, it seemed to bounce over the stumps. When Akash bowled the same length, the trajectory was clearly showing that most of his offerings would end up hitting the stumps. On a pitch where enough deliveries were staying low in the second innings, this made a difference.
Three Tests later, when the same two bowlers – Prasidh and Akash – played at the Oval, the former outbowled the latter. The simple logic for that was the Oval deck offered extra bounce and nip off the seam, bringing Prasidh’s skill-set to the fore.
It once again helps us to build the narrative surrounding Prasidh and Akash’s slightly different traits. And it also helps us to gauge the logic behind Akash’s selection over Prasidh for the India Tests against South Africa. Here, it has to be observed that Akash also clearly scores over Prasidh when it comes to wielding the willow. In a nutshell, horses for courses.
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