NEW DELHI: India pacer Akash Deep experienced a challenging series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, claiming five wickets across two Test matches in Australia’s 3-1 victory. Despite his modest wicket tally, the Bengal pacer consistently troubled the Australian batsmen with his line and length, though fortune wasn’t on his side as edges either missed the slips or failed to carry.
His performance against Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was particularly noteworthy, despite the statistics not reflecting his effort. Unfortunately, a back injury prevented his participation in the final Test at Sydney.
A BCCI official expressed concerns about the 28-year-old’s future prospects in international cricket, suggesting that his current performance and ability to secure a permanent position in the team could determine his longevity at the highest level.
“In Melbourne, he was sometimes pitching it either too short or too fall. Besides, given his age, if he’s in and out (of the XI) at his age, that could go on to be the difference,” a BCCI official told The Telegraph on Monday.
“And then, he has a dodgy back which has been troubling him even before his Bengal debut (in 2019). That’s also another thing he has to look after.”
According to former Bengal off-spinner Sourasish Lahiri, whilst Akash Deep frequently beat the bat, his bowling length wasn’t optimal for Australian conditions.
“Initially, he was bowling back-of-a-length. But then, he didn’t take much time to find the right length: that six to eight-metre length which makes the batter think whether to play on the front or back foot,” Bengal U-19 head coach Sourasish Lahiri, having worked with Akash since the latter’s Bengal U-23 days, said.
“With his fast arm action, he bowled the stock ball (the one coming into the batter) quite well, troubling Steve Smith at the MCG. Yes, there were several plays and misses off his bowling. But this helps to boost your perseverance and makes you mentally stronger. He will learn that in Test cricket, you get nothing on a platter,” he said.
