RP Singh has applauded Akash Deep for vindicating the Indian team management’s decision to include him as the second seamer in the fourth Test against England.
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the debutant was chosen ahead of Mukesh Kumar to partner Mohammed Siraj with the new ball. He impressed with figures of 3/70 in 17 overs as England concluded Day 1 with a total of 302/7 in their first innings in Ranchi.
He justified his selection- RP Singh on Akash Deep
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, RP Singh was questioned about Akash Deep reaping the rewards for his dedication in domestic cricket. In response, he said,
It’s a huge challenge to leave your state and play from another state, especially in our country, where there are so many players and everyone wants their spot. When you go to another state, you get less opportunities.
He made the most of those chances, performed there, and he got the reward for those performances today. He justified his selection. He made the best impact a fast bowler could on this slow and low track” the former India pacer added.
Akash Deep, hailing from Bihar, marked his Ranji Trophy debut for Bengal in December 2019. Prior to his Test debut, the right-arm seamer showcased his prowess by claiming 104 wickets in 30 first-class matches.
He found the length that would hit the top of the off-stump on this Ranchi wicket- RP Singh on Akash Deep
RP Singh specifically praised Akash Deep for finding the perfect length on the challenging Ranchi pitch. He elaborated
The special thing in his bowling was that he found the length that would hit the top of the off-stump on this Ranchi wicket. The ball was moving, so he bowled the maximum deliveries on the seam. We saw him bowling with full effort and with the right intent even in his final spell.”
The former cricketer-turned-commentator believes that the Bengal seamer had settled his nerves within the first few overs of his debut Test match.
We also got to see pace. He has a quick-arm action, which is not that easy to read. The best thing is that there are butterflies in the first match but they were probably calmed in the first one or two overs itself,” RP Singh added.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) pacer made a significant impact by dismissing Ben Duckett caught by Dhruv Jurel and Ollie Pope leg-before-wicket in his fifth over. He followed it up by bowling Zak Crawley in his next over, reducing England to 57/3. However, Joe Root’s unbeaten 106 helped the visitors recover from the early setbacks.
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