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Captain Shubman Gill said Akash Deep ‘ne saari kasar puri kardi’ with his brilliant 66 as a nightwatchman at the Oval.
Shubman Gill (L), Akash Deep and KL Rahul have been crucial cogs for India in England. (PC: BCCI, AP)
Captain Shubman Gill, senior batter KL Rahul and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak were all effusive in their praise for Akash Deep, who stunned England and lifted India with a 94-ball 66 as a nightwatchman in the Oval Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Saturday (August 2).
It was the second-highest score for India in the innings and part of a 107-run partnership with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal that played out the entirety of the tricky first session on the third day. With the foundation laid, India went on to score 396/10 in the essay to set a huge target of 374 for the hosts.
“For a long time, there has been this banter between batters and bowlers,” Gill told the BCCI in an interview after the day’s play. “The batters keep telling the lower-order batters, karo yaar thoda contribute. I think, is match mein unhone aage peeche ki puri kasar nikal di (Please contribute a bit, man. I think, in this match, they made up for everything). We had just told him one thing that whatever ball is in your radar, look to score runs. These 66 runs are no less than a century,” he added.
Kotak had a similar advise for the bowler.
“He was in the lift with me when we reached the hotel. I told him, ‘Aakash if you get any ball in your range tomorrow, then go for it and smash. Don’t defend compulsorily because you got out defending in the last two innings.’ I am so happy to see a fast bowler score an important fifty for us,” he said.
Rahul, who has emerged as a vocal leader in the squad, was in a jovial mood talking about Akash.
“Most of the chatter is always about the bowlers trying to steal our bats,” Rahul said, before adding seriously: “Just today, I had a brief chat with him to think like a batter and not throw his wicket away.”
66 was not only Akash’s best Test score but also the highest in his First-Class career.
‘Whether I am hit on the body or elsewhere, I’ll play’: Akash Deep
Akash also spoke briefly in the video, revealing his mentality and thoughts the night before.
“When I went to sleep last night, I was thinking I won’t get out — a [good] ball can get me out, but I won’t throw it. Whether I am hit on the body or elsewhere, I’ll play. We needed to play out balls and the partnership of over 100 runs was pretty special. For me, more special than the fifty is playing out two hours for the team,” he said.
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