The 28-year-old India National Cricket Team pacer Akash Deep had an eventful stay in the middle with the bat in the ongoing third Test match against the England National Cricket Team.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is levelled at 1-1, and the third Test match of the series between the England National Cricket Team and the India National Cricket Team is currently underway at Lord’s in London.
Edgbaston Hero Akash Deep Survives 2 Dismissals
Akash Deep was one of the heroes of India’s dominant victory over England at Edgbaston in Birmingham in the second Test match. He bagged 10 wickets and sealed his place in the playing XI for the subsequent Test match.
With the ball, he was not able to replicate his heroics at Lord’s and went wicketless in his 23 overs, conceding 92 runs at an economy of 4.
Meanwhile, Akash Deep arrived in the middle with the bat after the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja on the second ball of the 114th over, which was bowled by the veteran pacer Chris Woakes.
Facing his first ball, Akash was hit on the pads by a sharp nipbacker from Chris Woakes, and the on-field umpire Sharfuddoula raised his finger. However, the Indian pacer reviewed immediately, and the replays showed that the ball would miss the leg-stump, and the decision was overturned.
On the next ball, Woakes bowled a full-length delivery to Akash, who got forward to push it back to the pacer, and there was no run. Then, on the fifth ball of the over, Woakes bowled a good length delivery to the Indian tailender that jagged back into the middle, beat the bat, and rapped on the back pad, above the knee roll.
Umpire Sharfuddoula again raised his finger, and Akash once again signalled for a DRS. To the naked eye it looked out, but the Ultra-edge showed that the ball would miss stumps and Sharfuddoula was forced to change his decision again.
Akash Deep Given Out Twice
After surviving twice, Akash decided to do something magical, and he smoked the premier England pacer Jofra Archer for a sensational six in the 116th over.
On the first ball of the over, Jofra Archer bowled a loose delivery under 130 kmph to Akash that swung into the pads, and the Indian tailender flicked it over the fielder at deep backward square-leg for a maximum.
He became just the third player after Mitchell Starc and Matthew Wade to hit a six off Archer in Tests in England and only the second Indian to hit Jofra Archer for a six in Test cricket after Rohit Sharma. Overall, Archer has conceded 12 sixes in Tests from nine batters.
Akash was eventually dismissed in the 117th over, and his wicket was also attention-grabbing as Harry Brook pulled off an absolute stunner in the slips.
On the first ball of the 117th over, Brydon Carse bowled a wide and full-length delivery to Akash, who tried to run it down, but ended up hitting towards Harry Brook, who dived to his right and grabbed a stunning catch to send back Akash for 10-ball 7.
“Brook is a very undemonstrative cricketer. When he plays a big innings, he doesn’t celebrate with great histrionics and with this catch, he just threw the ball away like it was the easiest thing in the world,” Michael Atherton said on Sky Sports, praising Brook.
Akash Deep Smashes Jofra Archer for Six, Then Falls to Harry Brook’s Insane Catch