Former Indian spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, recently spoke about an incident involving fast bowler Akash Deep during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a Test series against Australia. Akash Deep replaced Harshit Rana in the third Test at the Gabba, Brisbane. He impressed everyone with his bowling, especially troubling Australian batsmen like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Virat Kohli’s advice for Akash Deep
During this match, Virat Kohli gave some advice to Akash Deep that did not work as planned. “In the recently concluded Test series, Akash Deep was bowling a fabulous spell at The Gabba. I saw Virat (Kohli) run up to him and say ‘Seedha daalo yaar (bowl straight buddy)’. After that, Akash’s rhythm got disturbed,” Ashwin shared at an event.
Ashwin explains the challenges
Ashwin explained the challenges bowlers face when trying to change their style mid-match. “In Virat’s head, he thought ‘That is uncomfortable for me so you do that against Steve Smith, you are going to get him out’. But it’s tough for a bowler to change like that. If a bowler is in rhythm, don’t disturb him,” Ashwin added.
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Akash Deep’s performance in Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Akash Deep faced some tough challenges during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. In the first Test at Brisbane, he bowled 29.5 overs and took 1 wicket for 95 runs. In the second innings, he bowled 5 overs and claimed 2 wickets for 28 runs. In the Melbourne Test, Akash bowled 26 overs, managing to get 2 wickets for 94 runs. He then bowled 17 overs without taking a wicket, giving away 53 runs. Akash only played in two of the five Tests due to an injury in the final match. There is a chance he might play for India again in the Test series against England in June 2025.
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