Akash Deep bowled 'ball of the series' to Root: Sachin Tendulkar
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar hailed Akash Deep as the "standout bowler" of the match and described his delivery to dismiss Joe Root in the second innings as the "ball of the series," following India's emphatic 336-run series-levelling win in the second Test at Edgbaston.
Akash Deep returned figures of 6 for 99 in the second innings to complete a match haul of 10 for 187, while Mohammed Siraj claimed seven wickets across both innings to help power India to victory.
Tendulkar was full of praise on 'X'. "India's approach was to take England out of this game and force them to play differently, making sure that there would only be 1 winner. What impressed me most about the bowlers was the length they bowled. "Needless to say, Akash Deep was the standout bowler, and in my opinion, he bowled the ball of the series to Joe Root," Tendulkar wrote.
On a funny note, he also didn't forget to mention Siraj's diving catch at short mid-wicket. "Enjoyed the catch taken by Mohammad "Jonty" Siraj," the owner of 51 Test hundreds commented. Tendulkar also praised the batting effort which set up an easy win.
The recently retired Virat Kohli wrote: "Great victory for India at Edgbaston. Fearless and kept pushing England to the wall. Brilliantly led by Shubman with the bat and in the field and impactful performances from everyone. Special mention to Siraj and Akash for the way they bowled on this pitch."
Another former India skipper Sourav Ganguly was all praise for Shubman Gill and his team. "What a performance from shubman gill and his team.. with the bat and now with the ball..akasdeep (sic) and Siraj just brilliant .indian attack looking far superior than the English attack .. Akasdeep (sic) and Siraj are workhorses. india win without bumrah..Can't be better result with the fantastic Gill in charge. What a fantastic batting effort," Ganguly wrote on X. NCA director VVS Laxman said: "Well done, Team India on an exceptional victory! It was amazing to see the team's fighting spirit and resilience. Congratulations Shubman on an outstanding match with the bat and for leading the team with such poise.
"A great start to your captaincy. Also great effort from Shiraj and Akashdeep. Wishing you all the best for your future matches," Laxman further added.
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