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Born In Pain, Built In Silence - Akash Was Thrown Into The 'Deep' End, But He Refused To Sink

Jatin

Akash Deep bagged 10 wickets vs England [Source: @VVSLaxman281/x.com]Akash Deep bagged 10 wickets vs England [Source: @VVSLaxman281/x.com]

If there was ever a Test match that turned the tide of a series and a career, it was this one. India were staring down the barrel with Jasprit Bumrah rested. Experts were already writing obituaries for the Indian bowling attack. And then… out came this lad from Bihar, face dead serious and the Dukes ball fizzing in his grip.

Ten wickets in the game. Four in the first innings, six in the second. Edgbaston hadn’t seen an Indian win in Tests before this but Akash Deep made it happen. And not by chance, by pure passion, skiddy seamers and fearless heart.

Bowling Like A Man Possessed

Akash Deep didn’t bowl, he hunted. Short of a length, seaming, skidding, jagging, it was chaos with a red cherry in hand. England’s batters looked like deer caught in headlights.

This wasn’t a one-match wonder. This was years of pain, patience and practice exploding into one unforgettable performance. He made the Dukes ball zip like it had a motor. No banana swing? No problem. He found bite off the pitch.

When Akash touched down in England, he had dreams of the Dukes ball swinging like anything. But when he saw the flat pitch, he had chuckled to Cheteshwar Pujara, "Mere saath dhokha ho gaya."

But Akash had trained on these kind of decks all his life. He knew how to make the old ball talk. He knew how to attack the stumps and make the batters play. His gameplan? Hit that 6–8 metre length, get the ball skidding and let the pitch do the rest.

The Losses That Changed Everything

Akash Deep’s journey isn’t a fairytale. It is a war story.

His father wanted him to become a constable. But Akash only wanted to bowl. He was the only cricket-mad guy in Sasaram and the neighbours didn’t want their kids hanging out with him. Then tragedy struck as Akash Deep’s life changed forever in 2015.

First, he lost his father. Six months later, his elder brother passed away too. Both needed emergency medical help but neither could make it to the hospital in time. The family was crushed.

A few years later, while Akash was inside the IPL bio-bubble during the second COVID wave, his aunt and sister-in-law succumbed to the virus. His mother was also on the brink.

That string of tragedies steeled something inside Akash. From that point, cricket wasn’t just a game. It was a mission.

The Making Of Akash Deep

Akash’s journey is a gritty rollercoaster. With no support for cricket in Bihar after the BCCI suspended the local board, he moved to Bengal, played tennis-ball matches in Durgapur for INR 800 a day to survive and slept in dorms that former Bengal coach, Arun Lal called “bloody hellholes.” But he never complained. Never asked for special treatment. Just kept grinding.

He ran hills in the jungle back home. Sent videos to his coach showing him sprinting uphill like a beast. No gym. No fancy drills. Just heart.

People forget that Akash came into the Bengal team replacing Ashok Dinda, a local legend. That is big pressure. But he delivered. In 2019–20 Ranji Trophy, he was instrumental in Bengal’s runners-up finish. Since then, it has been upward and onward.

Mental Strength Forged In Fire

Coming to the present, with Jasprit Bumrah rested, he slipped into India’s XI and bowled like he owned it. After his stunning performance, Akash revealed his sister is battling cancer. Diagnosed just two months ago. Imagine bowling your heart out with that sitting heavy on your mind.

But Akash is built different. He had said it in Ranchi too after his debut: “Having lost so much, there’s nothing else to lose.” That fearlessness showed in every delivery he sent down in Birmingham.

Not Just A Stand-In Anymore

Make no mistake, Akash Deep is no longer a backup. He is breathing down the necks of India’s main pacers. His spell has opened the doors for more Dukes-ball masterclasses in the coming games.

England now have a real problem. If they roll out flat tracks, Akash Deep’s skiddy specials will clean up the top order. If they give bounce, Bumrah is back. And with Siraj also firing, India have formed a pace trinity that’s looking lethal.

One thing is for sure: Akash Deep’s story is just getting started. 

From jungle runs to duking it out at Edgbaston, he has shown what happens when you mix pain with purpose.

And if Edgbaston was the warning shot, the rest of the series might just be the full assault!