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In a candid chat with CricketNext, Akash opens up concerning the challenges of English pitches, working with Morne Morkel, his rivalry with Ben Duckett, batting exploits and more.
Akash Deep took 13 wickets from three matches. (AFP Photo)
Fresh from the England tour, pacer Akash Deep has been recovering from a back niggle while spending some quality time together with his family. The 28-year-old had some terrific outings in England, each with bat and ball. From his memorable 10-wicket haul at Edgbaston to his gritty fifty at The Oval, the Bengal pacer showcased resilience and flexibility in testing overseas conditions.
In a candid conversation with CNN-News18 Cricketnext, Akash opens up concerning the challenges of English pitches, working with Morne Morkel, his rivalry with Ben Duckett, batting exploits, and the calm influence of Shubman Gill’s captaincy.
He also shares thoughts on Siraj’s impact, his spiritual side, and lessons from back-to-back tours in Australia and England.
Exceprts
After the England tour, you’ve been home for the past month. How has this era been for you?
It’s been really good. You see, even before the England tour, we had the IPL happening, so by then it had already been six months since I’d been home. Finally, I got to spend some proper time with my family.
You began the England tour with a 10-wicket haul after a shaky start. Talk us through Edgbaston.
Actually, once I was in India, I used to be very joyful just fascinated about going to England to play. I had heard a lot about those conditions. But once I actually went there and saw the wickets and the conditions myself, it was very different from what I’d imagined. I recalled the scene from that Hindi movie (Run), ‘Chhoti Ganga bata kar naale mein kuda diya’. (laughs) That’s exactly the way it felt.
Because there was no swing, no seam movement, runs were flowing freely – teams were making 400-plus scores. But I still needed to play that match. So, I told myself: the one thing in my control is to place the ball in the precise areas. If I start overthinking the conditions, I’ll only put more pressure on myself. So, I stuck to that – bowling in the precise areas, sticking to my strengths.
Bumrah played three matches and missed two. And coincidentally, the 2 matches he didn’t play, India won. Your thoughts?
I don’t think that’s the precise option to have a look at it. Winning or losing a match shouldn’t be linked to at least one individual’s presence or absence. Bumrah bhai has won countless matches for India together with his bowling. Even on this tour, I remember in the primary match he took a five-wicket haul, and however at Lord’s he picked one other five-for. So, I don’t agree with that equation in any respect. At any time when he has played, he’s all the time given match-winning performances for the team.
This England tour was quite different from the last one. The typical age of the team was 28, and several other fresh faces within the bowling unit. How did bowling coach Morne Morkel handle this relatively young group of fast bowlers?
Morne was excellent with us. The most effective thing about him is that he keeps things easy. He doesn’t complicate matters unnecessarily. He knows exactly what each bowler’s strengths are, after which he just focuses on small technical adjustments where required. Because he doesn’t make things complicated, it becomes much easier for us as individuals to know and apply. That simplicity is his biggest strength as a coach.
Let’s discuss your batting for a bit. Indian fans still haven’t forgotten the sixes you hit in Australia, and before leaving England, you gave us that roaring knock at The Oval. We’d love to listen to about that fifty.
See, in that match, I actually had a little bit of an injury. While bowling, I had picked up a slight niggle around my thigh. Due to that, I wasn’t in a position to bowl properly. But since we only had two or three fast bowlers, I needed to bowl regardless.
Then I used to be sent out as a night-watchman. At that time, my mindset was clear: ‘I have to not get out’. I needed to survive. Because England too only had three bowlers, and if we managed to frustrate them by batting longer, their patience can be tested. Once bowlers lose their patience for an hour or two, it becomes difficult for them to bowl with the identical discipline. In order that was my considering.
The subsequent morning, once I went out to bat, I stuck to that very same mindset. Ball by ball, I kept telling myself: play this one, then play the following one. I wasn’t even the runs. But as I survived ball after ball, the runs began adding up. And that’s how that fifty got here—it was built purely on patience and focus.
If it hadn’t rained within the Oval Test, what result did you expect?
If it hadn’t rained on Day 4, the result would still have been the identical as what eventually happened on Day 5. Because by that evening, the momentum had already shifted towards us. England were under pressure, fighting problems. In Test cricket, momentum keeps swinging – sometimes it’s with you, sometimes with the opposition. But that evening, especially the last half-hour session, which in England is all the time the hardest for batting, we had clearly won that battle. If not for the
And what about your little rivalry with Ben Duckett?
(Laughs) Yes, he was my goal. I had already dismissed him 4 or five times. In truth, he even said to me once, “This time you won’t give you the chance to get me out.” But eventually, I did get him out again.
How was it playing under Gill’s captaincy?
It was excellent. Actually, I had played under his captaincy before too—within the Duleep Trophy last 12 months. Even then, I had a excellent experience. In certainly one of those matches, I had taken 9–10 wickets. Wherever I’ve played under his captaincy, I’ve performed well, so I consider it lucky for myself.
He has a number of good ideas, he’s very calm, he understands situations, and he doesn’t react impulsively. For us players, that’s a excellent sign. It gives confidence that the captain consists and considering clearly.
Previously 7–8 months, you’ve played in each Australia and England, two of the largest tours of international calendar. How has been your experience?
So long as you’re playing cricket, you’ll all the time must continue to learn. On daily basis, it’s essential to improve. To survive at this level, you should keep evolving.
As a quick bowler, I realised that Australia and England are the actual testing grounds. That’s where you truly learn cricket – what the team needs from you, how you possibly can improve. These places teach you that skill alone won’t work. You have got to be mentally and physically strong enough to bowl for five days straight. That’s the largest lesson I took from those tours.
Siraj bowled in such a way that he almost destroyed the entire idea of workload management. What did his performance mean to the team?
He was outstanding. The way in which he bowled across all five matches—you never once felt like this guy was tiring. That type of energy may be very rare. After all, fitness is one a part of it, but I feel a few of additionally it is God-gifted. Siraj has that natural energy. Even after bowling so many overs, he still comes back with the identical intensity. That’s something special.
You frequently visit temples after a series. Has this spirituality been recent or since childhood?
I’ve had it since childhood. I strongly consider in spirituality. But not because I feel going to temples will give me results directly. For me, it’s about peace of mind. When I am going there, I feel calm, I feel inspired to do good things. It also creates a type of restriction—it stops me from doing the incorrect things. That’s the form of learning I take from going to temples. And yes, it gives me a number of peace.
And the way’s your health at once?
I’m fantastic. I’ll be starting bowling again in two or three days.
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way in which for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I actually have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way in which for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I actually have had … Read More
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