Akash Deep, playing as nightwatchman, struck a gritty maiden Test fifty (66 off 94) at The Oval, aiding India’s strong lead—a redemption after his Lord’s outing, where he fell for 1, triggering a collapse in a narrow defeat.
The nightwatchman Akash Deep has showcased his batting brilliance on Day 3 in the ongoing fifth and final Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against England at the Oval in London on Saturday, August 2.
After bundling out England for 247 in their first innings on Day 2, Team India assumed their second innings batting, but suffered early setbacks, losing KL Rahul for 7 at 46/1 and Sai Sudharsan for 11, slipping to 70/2 in 17.2 overs. With a few overs left for the day’s play, team management decided to send Akash Deep as a nightwatchman in order to protect their main batters from the fading light and England’s fresh pace attack.
Akash Deep stood firm at the crease at the end of Day 2, with Team India reaching 75/2 in 18 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal was unbeaten on 51, while Akash Deep was on 4, extending India’s lead to 52 runs.
Akash Deep’s nightwatchman role pays off
As Team India resumed their second innings with an overnight total, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep were frustrating the England bowlers with their calculated counter-attacking approach to sail the visitors to a commanding position.
Though Yashasvi Jaiswal redeemed himself after a failure in the first innings, the focus was on Akash Deep, who was enjoying his batting as if he were a specialist batter rather than a bowler. His elegant batting and counter-attacking approach with calculated risks left England bowlers stunned as the hosts’ bowling attack was looking to make early inroads, but failed.
Akash Deep was batting on 47 when he smashed a boundary off Gus Atkinson to complete his maiden Test fifty of his career. The 28-year-old was quite pumped as his teammates in the dressing room gave a standing ovation, while Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja urged Akash Deep to remove his helmet to celebrate his fifty.
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Akash Deep’s fine innings came to an end after he was dismissed by Jamie Overton for 66 off 94 balls at 177/3, simultaneously ending a crucial 107-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third wicket, which took Team India past he 150-run lead mark and firmly shifted momentum in India’s favour in the Oval decider.
Akash Deep’s maiden Test fifty buries Lord’s Woes
Akash Deep’s Test fifty is not just a milestone in his red-ball career at the international level, but also a statement of redemption after the Lord’s Test. In the third Test at the Home of Cricket, India were chasing a 193-run target in the second innings, but suffered a batting collapse as they were reduced to 53/3 in 15 overs.
Instead of sending Rishabh Pant at No.5, Team India management sent Akash Deep to bat as a nightwatchman to absorb the last few overs before the stumps. However, the decision completely backfired as Akash was dismissed for 1 and India were reduced to 58/4 before they were bundled out for 170, heartbreakingly falling 23 runs short of the target.
Akash Deep’s gritty fifty at The Oval, therefore, served as a powerful response to that setback, justifying his team management’s continued trust in his nightwatchman role.
After Akash Deep’s dismissal, Shubman Gill joined Yashasvi Jaiswal to carry on Team India’s innings. At the end of the first session, the visitors posted a total of 189/3 in 44 overs, with Jaiswal and Gill batting on 85 and 11, respectively, and took a 166-run lead.
Akash Deep’s crucial fifty draws praise from netizens
Akash Deep’s maiden fifty of his Test career has drawn massive praise and appreciation from the netizens for his resilience, composure under pressure, and his ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered the most.
Taking to their X handle (formerly Twitter), many lauded Akash Deep for his ability to step into a challenging situation and turn the tide in India’s favour, while others praised him for playing one of the most memorable knocks by an Indian nightwatchman in recent Test history.
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Meanwhile, after the Manchester Test draw, Team India is aiming to level the five-match Test series, which is currently at 2-1 in favour of England. The Shubman Gill-led side will look to finish the England tour on a high with a victory in the Oval Decider.