India’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane showered praise on Akash Deep after the visitors secured a massive 336-run win against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham in the second Test of the series. Deep, who was not backed in the opening Test of the series, returned with figures of 10-187 to play an instrumental role in India’s win.
This is the best bowling figures in a Test match by an Indian bowler in English conditions. While Deep bagged 4-88 in the first innings, he picked 6-99 in the second essay.
Deep bowled in the right areas against English batters and breathed down their neck with his accuracy. The fast bowler from Bengal got the ball to swing and seam and was right on the money.
Rahane lauded Deep for using the crease width to get rid of England veteran batter Joe Root as he went wide and got the ball to move away from the right-hander.
Ajinkya Rahane said on his YouTube Channel, “Many had doubted his selection in this Test match but I think he had proved it completely wrong. I know Akash Deep really well. He bowls those correct lines and lengths, works hard on his game, thinks about his bowling all the time. But mostly what I liked about him in this Test match was his intent. How he used the crease. I would like to talk about one particular ball where he got Joe Root out. He used the crease really well, he was actually mixing it up. Bowling closer to the stumps, centre and then wider.”
“That particular ball he went wide. He tried to push that ball in, even though if you see the line was actually on the off or the fourth stump. What happens is when you bowl slightly wider angle the batsman thinks the ball is actually coming in and that is why you see Joe Root trying to play towards midwicket and that is where he was in trouble. When you bowl the same delivery from the centre of the wicket or closer to the stumps, that ball generally goes straight. But credit to Akash Deep, I don’t think Joe Root had done anything wrong. I think he is the perfect bowler in these conditions, bowling those line and lengths, bowling that channel. He can make the ball go both ways”.
On the other hand, Rahane also praised captain Shubman Gill for his sublime batting performance. Gill aggregated 430 runs in the second Test match and thus bagged the Player of the Match award.
Rahane concluded, “We all know how well he batted. He got a hundred in the first Test match. 269 in the first innings of this Test match and 160-odd in the second innings. As a batsman, it is very easy to get complacent on a flat wicket. But what I liked about Shubman was his attitude, his determination and his focus throughout the innings, in both the innings.”
The third Test match between India and England will be played at Lord’s, London from 10th July onwards.
