'I Spoke To Him..,' Not Bumrah, Akash Deep Credits This India Pacer For His Success
Akash Deep [X.com]
Akash Deep, an emerging pacer in Indian cricket, has been making waves with his remarkable performances. Named in the Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh starting on September 19 in Chennai, his journey is a testament to hard work, perseverance, and guidance from senior teammates.
While Jasprit Bumrah is often the go-to name in Indian fast bowling, Akash Deep credits Mohammed Shami for playing a pivotal role in his development.
Mohammed Shami's Game-Changing Advice To Akash Deep
Akash shared that Mohammed Shami’s advice about refining his bowling technique, particularly in swinging the ball out to left-handers, helped him enhance his skills. The technical similarities in their bowling actions made Shami’s mentorship invaluable for Akash.
“The balls I bowled to Nitish Reddy [in the first innings] and Washington Sundar [in the second innings]. I had been bowling a lot to him [Washington] from around the wicket in the nets. He has been batting a lot against me and had got used to it. So I wanted to do something that I hadn't done against him before,” said Akash Deep as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“When you bowl to a left-hander from around the wicket, the ball moves naturally towards the shine. I spoke to him [Shami] about how to get the ball to come back in [with the angle]. I have seen him do that,” he added.
Akash Deep Shines In Duleep Trophy 2024
In the first-round match of the Duleep Trophy between India A and India B, Akash Deep stood out with figures of 4 for 60 and 5 for 56.
His ability to swing the ball both ways left the opposition batters in trouble. However, despite his stellar individual performance, India A suffered a 76-run defeat. Akash reflected on the game, highlighting the need for better planning and execution, particularly in key moments.