Akash Deep storm blows England away
New Delhi: Hail Akash Deep, the new fast bowling sensation who used the red cherry to devastating effect as India defeated England by 336 runs to win the second Test at the Edgbaston Cricket ground to level the series for the rechristened Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Sunday in Birmingham was scary for India, what with the skies opening up. Almost two hours of play was lost to rain. There was ‘Mission Possible’ to be achieved as the cocky Englishmen realised they were going to be outplayed at home by a new-look Indian side where captain Shubman Gill led by example.
This is a massive generational shift in Indian Test cricket, defined by will and skill, with famous names–Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma–having retired. Most important, and a revelation, even minus ace of the pace pack Jasprit Bumrah, 28-year-old Akash Deep showed a large heart, good energy and the ability to bowl his heart out. To claim five wickets in the English second innings
and claim 10 wickets overall in the Test match made this a feat which will be remembered for a very long time.
If Mohd Siraj had done his bit in the first innings and taken six wickets, Akash had taken four. But the piece de resistance was Akash Deep firing on all cylinders in the second innings. No cliché this, the young man from Bihar who has dreamt and honed his skills in Kolkata showed how to use the fifth day conditions in Birmingham, where the scent of victory could be sniffed in the air. For someone who made his debut only last year for India in the Test series at home, against England, Akash Deep has arrived.
It’s nice to bowl in England, if one goes by old wickets. No, this one was not a bowler-friendly wicket at all. It was Akash who fired in the red cherry with relish. He has a smooth run-up, accelerates and grips the ball not too tightly. When he releases the ball, the behaviour cannot be predicted. If it is short, he will try and bounce it.
Uniquely, off the pitch he does a lot with the ball, it hastens, as was evident from the master class he conducted on Sunday at Edgbaston.
For sure, major credit will go to Young Turk Shubman Gill, leading the Indian Test side just for the second time in his career. If anyone says, lead by example, Gill has defined it with his bat and how he has conducted himself on the field in an exemplary manner. There was an assurance when he batted in both the innings to score 269+121 runs in the two innings he played. This was truly phenomenal, which defined Gill as a class act, something which has come in for praise from former India captain Virat Kohli as well.
That Gill is learning the leadership stuff also, on board as captain, is amazing. How he handled the bowling attack and set the field was defining. At no stage did it appear the bowlers were getting tired. And the best part, even when Akash Deep was bowling his 22nd over and got rid of the last English batter, he looked fresh. Is this new enthusiasm and new energy or is this going to be the template forward can be discussed in coming days.
For sure, India bouncing back from the defeat at Edgbaston has been defining. The few changes made in the squad and the inclusion of Washington Sundar has been beneficial. At the same time, when you have seasoned Ravindra Jadeja lending zing to the bowling attack and also scoring runs, things have fallen in place so well. If it’s the mind, the Indians have mastered it. There was this genuflection for Bumrah. Once he had to be rested, owing to workload management, the fear was how the fast bowlers would deliver. The way Mohd Siraj performed in the first innings and Akash Deep rocked in the second innings, be sure, the new order is in place. If anything, once Bumrah returns for the third Test at Lords from July 10, he will be more than eager to prove himself. After all, BOOM had done well in the first innings of the first Test.
Viewed from beyond the boundary, the Indian team looks happy. The team had come in for massive flak after the loss in the first Test, with dropped catches looking so ugly. No, not this time, where things have fallen into place. In terms of captaincy, Ben Stokes, the English skipper is going to face flak.
His decision to bowl first will be criticised for sure. To think Bazball will always work and England can chase any score is a myth.
If one weights the two bowling attacks, minus Stuart Broad and James Anderson, England look club class. As for Ben Stokes, the skipper, he has not been able to score runs. And the same applies to Joe Root, who is perceived as a major threat, on paper.
