'He kept reminding me ... ': Akash Deep opens up on Gautam Gambhir's pep talks before Edgbaston Test
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The hosts had staged a strong comeback through middle-order batters Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, but the Indian bowlers eventually broke through.
At stumps on Day 3, India were 64 for 1 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 244 runs. KL Rahul (28*) and Karun Nair (7*) were unbeaten at the crease.
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Trailing 0-1 in the five-match series, India opted to rest pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for workload management.
In his place, Akash Deep was brought into the XI — and the debutant didn't disappoint.
Siraj (6/70) delivered key strikes in the morning, removing Joe Root (22) and Ben Stokes (0), while Akash Deep (4/88) ended the 303-run partnership between Brook (158) and Smith (184*) post-tea.
He followed it up by dismissing Chris Woakes (5), before Siraj cleaned up the tail — sending back Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir for ducks.
"Main maukon ke baare mein nahi sochta. Main sirf ye sochta hoon ki jab team ko zarurat hogi, main apna best doon [I don't think about opportunities. I focus on giving my best whenever the team needs me]" Akash Deep told reporters at the end of Day 3.
"Bowling on this pitch and against this batting lineup is a challenge, but keeping things simple always helps—regardless of the conditions," he added.
Akash credited
and Morne Morkel for boosting his confidence ahead of the match.
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"Morkel and Gambhir shared their experiences with me before the match and gave me a lot of confidence. They had positive conversations with me and kept reminding me of my strengths," Akash Deep said.
India vs England 2nd Test: Shubman Gill's 269, Ravindra Jadeja's class light up Edgbaston
"I also thought the ball would swing and seam in England, but after following the matches here, I realised they usually play on such wickets," he added.
On playing his first Test and thoughts on what lies ahead, he said: "I'm not thinking about the future right now—my focus is still on this match."
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