Akash Deep continued his impressive performance in the Edgbaston Test by nipping out Joe Root with an unplayable delivery late on day four with England facing an improbable target to win. Exceptional with the new ball in his Test career thus far, Akash Deep perhaps delivered the most sensational delivery of his career thus far when he had England’s best batter completely befuddled with a ball delivered from a wider angle.
You know a delivery is special when it makes Joe Root, one of the most complete Test batters of this era, look like he had no clue what just happened. And Akash Deep, barely into his Test career, produced exactly that kind of delivery. It wasn’t just a good ball; it was a statement. The kind that announces: I belong here.
Let’s break it down.
It all starts with the angle. Akash Deep goes wide of the crease, a subtle adjustment that changes everything. From that position, the ball naturally comes in at a sharper angle toward the batter. It’s an old fast-bowling trick to widen the release to create indecision, especially when there’s a hint of movement on offer. From the moment the ball left his hand, it screamed “wicket”.
Now for the length. This wasn’t a back-of-a-length jabber. It was full. Attacking full. Right in that corridor where batters are forced to commit. Too full to leave, not full enough to drive cleanly. It pitched on off and middle, inviting Root into a shot he usually plays in his sleep. Only, this one didn’t come in.
Instead, the ball nipped away just enough to create doubt, just enough to beat the outside edge. Root had already made his move, closing the bat face early, expecting the ball to continue its inward path. That early commitment proved fatal. The movement off the seam squared him up, and in a blink, the ball had beaten the edge and clattered into off stump.
No edge. No inside nick. Just pure, clean deception. Root turned around to see his off stump bent back, the bails flying. For a moment, it looked like he hadn’t processed it. How could he? A ball that came in, then didn’t. A delivery that set him up with the angle and knocked him over with the seam.
And Akash Deep? He didn’t overdo the celebration. Just pointed to his badge and signaling that ‘I am here to stay’ by pointing at the dressing room. He really is!
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India set up a daunting target for England on day four of the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Saturday.
The Shubman Gill-led side piled on 427 runs in the second innings, stretching its overall lead to a mammoth 607 runs. It is now up to Ben Stokes and his side to chase down the ninth-highest fourth innings target ever set in Test history since 2000 — and the second-highest India has ever posted in a Test match.
Gill, who led from the front with a sublime 161, helped India seize control after England were bundled out for 227 earlier in the match. This 607-run target trails only India’s 2009 effort in Wellington, when they set 637 runs against New Zealand.
For context, here are the highest successful run chases in Test history:
No team has ever chased more than 418 in a Test match, making India’s position in the match near-unassailable. England will require not just a monumental effort, but something historic
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