There are so many things common in every Akash Deep’s wicket.
There are so many things common in every wicket Akash Deep takes. Coming from wide of the crease, zooming in on the stumps, nipping back off the seam, and hurrying the batter – this is a typical Akash Deep dismissal. We have seen it a few times in his one-and-a-half-match old Test career already.
Three of Akash’s five Test wickets have been bowled, and one LBW. He targets the stumps, and his consistency over lengths is immaculate; he can hit that 6-8 meter mark with eyes closed. He can err in his lines sometimes, but the control is still encouraging.
Zak Crawley described him aptly earlier this year. He’d know better than many, for Crawley suffered the same fate twice in the same innings. On the first attempt, a no-ball saved him; though, not the second time.
“Skiddy bowler, more pace than what I thought he had. Ran the ball back in with variable bounce. It was tricky as he was getting it to nip. It was tough.”
Skiddy – it’s a crucial term for Indian conditions. He achieves it by hitting the seam regularly and keeping it upright. Mohammed Shami has done it consistently and fetched ample success in home conditions.
When the ball hits the seam, it hurries off the deck, reaching quicker to the batter than he is expecting, and that delayed bowling arm ensures he generates more pace. Zakir Hasan was late in his drive; the ball had already hit the stumps before he could do anything. Mominul Haque was also done in by the pace on the first delivery.
What a sight for a fast bowler!
Akash Deep rattles stumps twice, giving #TeamIndia a great start into the second innings.
Watch the two wickets here 👇👇#INDvBAN @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/TR8VznWlKU
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2024
Furthermore, he also gets some swing, even if it’s minimal. While he bowled with a new ball in his first Test, Deep was equally effective coming as a first-change bowler against Bangladesh. While he bowled only five overs in the innings, those were enough for him to make an impact; he has a knack for forming an immediate impression, as also visible during the England series.
Mukesh Kumar is a similar bowler. But he doesn’t really get any swing or hurry the batter like Deep does. Maybe Deep’s height plays a role too, and he uses the depth of his crease precisely like going wide of the crease to angle it in and just straightening it or taking it away.
India don’t often provide opportunities to newer pacers in Tests, but the situations have lately tempted them to try a few more options. With Shami injured and Bumrah requiring rest occasionally, they must test a few other performers. Not to forget the team is going through a transition, and Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are no longer in their plans.
Also Read: What led to Virat Kohli’s false shot in the Chennai Test
That means Deep has got his chances quicker than he’d have expected. And he has shown he is ready to take on the best at the biggest stage. The future might be more exciting for an exciting fast bowler.
India might be desperate to take him to Australia later in the year. The Australian tracks can suit him since he is skiddy and generates additional pace. Deep can leave batters stuck in their crease as he did against England and Bangladesh, albeit on Indian surfaces.
He might be the fourth pacer in the squad after Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami. However, Deep is a tailor-made bowler for Indian conditions. He targets the stumps, which might not be a wise plan in Australia.
Akash will need to shuffle his line and bowl more in the corridor. For someone who has bowled at the stumps all his life, he will find it hard to make this change. He may also need to pull his length back slightly.
He won’t be the new-ball bowler Down Under. So, the lengths must be dragged back slightly once the ball gets older. It will allow him to hit the deck harder.
Umesh Yadav, a giant in home conditions, couldn’t apply these changes in Australia. That means he averaged 44.22 in that part of the world. It remains to be seen whether Deep can make the necessary changes overseas.
What’s encouraging is that he adapts quickly. Be it adjusting his line closer to the stumps against Bangladesh in this match or going wide of the crease against England earlier this year, Deep knows when to make amendments.
“When I tried 2-3 balls from close to the stumps, there wasn’t much help, and it wasn’t swinging either, after the first three overs. I started bowling from the edge of the crease, trying to bowl outswing, but it was pitching and seaming in. Everything was coming in,” he stated in the England series.
He angled the ball inward and straightened it at the last moment to Ben Duckett from wide of the crease. Similarly, he nipped one back to Ollie Pope to trap him LBW, again using the depth of the crease. He cut Zak Crawley in two halves with that zippy inward angle.
WWW 🤝 Akash Deep!
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/FUbQ3Mhpq9#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/YANSwuNsG0
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2024
Batters knew what was coming; they could still do nothing. He just kept things straightforward, working on his strength of bringing the ball in. The track did the rest for him.
Maybe the team didn’t ask for such a lively pitch in Chennai, but they will take it. This Test is played on the red soil surface with extra bounce and carry for speedsters. The conditions are not identical to Australia, but it has brought pacers more into the game, which will be the case in Australia.
The Australia tour is a concern for later. For now, as in his name, Akash is flying high in the sky, and he should enjoy it rather than thinking too far. Even if not overseas, India have their latest weapon ready to take over Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav at home.
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