Akash Deep makes India forget Jasprit Bumrah, sends Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope packing for a duck in two balls

Hindustan Times

10 hours ago

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was shown no mercy on Wednesday after captain Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the second Test match against England in Birmingham. The strategy was ridiculed by experts and fans on social media, especially after what was witnessed in Leeds in the series opener, where India lost by five wickets. But Akash Deep, the man who replaced Bumrah in the playing XI, stepped up like a storm to fill the void in style as he rattled England with his fiery new-ball burst. India's Akash Deep celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Ben Duckett(Action Images via Reuters)
A lacklustre show from fellow quicks at Headingley in the first Test match saw experts concerned and urging the team management not to rest Bumrah, who stood out in the match with his five-wicket haul, which was highly speculated, with India having already decided that the 31-year-old would play just three Test matches on the tour to manage his workload.
But Gambhir and Gill did not pay heed to the requests as Akash was picked in place of Bumrah, to keep the latter fresh for the third Test at the Lord's, which will begin next week. But a day after the much-criticised move, the Bengal fast bowler silenced the criticism with a fiery new-ball burst during the final session on day 2 of the second Test.
In the third over of the innings, Akash dismissed Ben Duckett for a five-ball duck. The left-handed batter looked to punch the length ball outside off through the covers, but ended up getting a thick outside edge, with Shubman Gill, producing another moment of magic, grabbing it effortlessly at slip. On the next ball, the fast bowler got rid of Ollie Pope, who had scored a century in Leeds, for a golden duck as KL Rahul picked up the catch at second slip.
There was more trouble for England as Mohammed Siraj joined the party to dismiss Zak Crawley in the eighth over. Against the shorter delivery outside the off stump, which shaped away a tad bit, Crawley looked to punch it away from the body, but got a thick outside edge and Karun Nair made no mistake at first slip.
On a batting paradise, where England were expected to match India's first innings total of 587, the home team were handed a shocker as they went three down for just 25 runs in the first 43 deliveries.
Earlier in the day, India captain Gill added to his overnight score of a century to notch up a record 269, the best ever score by a visiting Asian captain in England. It was also his career-best score in first-class cricket.