IND vs ENG 5th Test: The Men in Blue won the fifth Test match against England and made sure that the series ended in a 2-2 tie owing to the dramatic fifth Test match at the Oval. The hosts, who were chasing a target of 374 runs, were inching closer towards winning the match and the series by 3-1, on the back of Harry Brook and Joe Root’s brilliant partnership, but then Mohammed Siraj stepped up and took a five-wicket haul and helped the team win the match by six runs.
Since Siraj had grabbed the limelight, Akash Deep’s performance as an all-rounder was equally brilliant. Akash, who is known as a bowler, left everyone stunned with his batting performances. While coming into bat as a nightwatchman on the third day, he didn’t just survive the last session but also batted on the fourth day and scored a brilliant knock of 66 runs off 94 balls, which included 12 fours. His first half-century in the longest format made the Indian dressing room happy, as skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir were impressed. Ravindra Jadeja encouraged him to celebrate this milestone.
During an interaction with Aaj Tak, Akash broke his silence and revealed the secret of this innings.
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“I never play my cricket based on hope. I promised myself at night that I would not get out. I made this commitment. I decided not to play a rash shot,” Akash Deep told Aaj Tak.
“If a good ball got me out, there was no issue with that, as these things can happen in cricket. If I didn’t score any runs, I was fine with it. My aim was just to stay at the crease. I had this motivation, and this made batting easier,” he said.
What Did Akash Deep Say About the 5th Test At The Oval?
While entering the fifth day, when they needed just four wickets to win, the Ollie Pope-led side needed 35 runs. Akash talked about what changed the tide of the match and said, It was an important match. We were trailing 1-2 in the series. We had played well in the series, but we were behind. The wicket seemed flat in the Oval Test, but later, the pitch started doing something.”