Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra showered praise on Akash Deep for scoring an impressive knock in the second innings of the fifth Test against England at Kennington Oval. Deep scored a crucial knock of 66 runs off 94 balls as he batted at the top of his game.
After surviving on the second day’s play, Deep had the license to use the long handle against the English bowlers. The nightwatchman added 107 runs with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to put India in a commanding position.
Deep also had the rub of the green as he was dropped by Zak Crawley when he was on 21.
“He was not a nightwatchman. He came as a very important man. I remember some keyboard warriors and mediapersons were asking why KL Rahul gave Akash Deep the strike, and you were thinking that he did the job he came for. Akash Deep was sent. He is no mug with the bat,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra noted that Deep also posed for the cameras as he played at his absolute best.
“You try to send someone who can bat a little, and how well he batted. He scored a half-century, went above 60, and the way he stood after playing some shots in the end, tu kheech meri photo (you click my photo), one got a feeling like that. Akash Deep batted extremely well and scored runs,” he observed.
On the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored a vital knock of 118 runs off 164 balls. The left-hander scored 411 in five Test matches of the series and Chopra lauded the southpaw.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal, yashasvi bhava. Interestingly enough, he has started and ended this series with centuries and has also scored two half-centuries in between, scored more than 400 runs, and the knives are still out. Everyone has forgotten that this is his first England tour and that he has just started playing, although he has scored a lot of runs very quickly,” he said.
Jaiswal has an impressive record while playing against England as he has amassed 1123 runs in 10 Test matches at an average of 62.38.
“He likes England a lot. We are saying that a 400-plus series wasn’t enjoyable. What more can my brother do? Of course, he could have played slightly better and could have held more catches, but I think he will finish as one of the finest to have played the game. I have great confidence in him. He scored a century. You were expecting a counterattacking knock, and that’s exactly what our boy has done,” Chopra observed.
India needs eight more wickets to win the fifth Test if Chris Woakes doesn’t bat.
