Akash Deep picked up first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, propelling India to a 336-run victory with a masterly display against England in the Edgbaston Test. The seamer followed up his four-wicket display in the first English innings with another inspired performance in the ICC World Test Championship encounter.
The man from Dehri, Bihar shone bright in Birmingham in the inimitable Jasprit Bumrah's absence. The 28-year-old reaped the rewards of disciplined lengths and skillful seam movement, dismissing the well-set Jamie Smith for 88 to get to his fifer.
He finished with a match haul of 10 wickets, including figures of 6/99 in the England second innings with the hosts getting all out for 271 in pursuit of a formidable 608-run target. Captain Shubman Gill, with his brilliant batting (269 and 161) set up the India win, but it was Akash who delivered the killer blow with a lion-hearted effort on a track which was deemed by many as one with nothing for pace bowlers.
Once not having enough opportunities in a non-descript town in Bihar, the journey has not been a bed of roses for Akash, the son of a government school teacher, who would survive on pocket money earned by playing tennis ball cricket before scouts in Bengal saw his potential and fast- tracked him into the age-group system in 2018. The seamer played his debut first-class game for Bengal during Christmas in 2019.
And now, less than six years later, his sharp incutters from length that fooled Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook didn't let Gill miss Bumrah. Akash came into the tour knowing that his sister is suffering from cancer and he felt that everytime, he sprinted towards the pitch, the visions of his ailing sister crossed his mind.
But he didn't let that hinder his performance and fittingly got the final wicket of the game to complete a match haul of 10/187.
(With PTI inputs)
