Akash Deep, a pacer from India and who took an extraordinary nine-wicket haul in Duleep Trophy first round match between India A and India B, has attributed his growth as a red-ball bowler to senior teammate Mohammed Shami. Akash however made it clear that it is paramount not to be complacent after such performance.
For instance, he finished with figures of 4 for 60 and 5 for 56 in this match. He offered an insight into how much Shami’s mentorship has changed the way he bowls. I take input from him (Shami) because our bowling actions are quite similar,” Akash said. I asked him how to move the ball out while bowling from around the wicket to a left-hander?? I was told not force it as much; it will come by itself,” Akash recalls. This advise bore fruit through variation which became one of the major deliveries used by Akash to grab wickets creating confusion on batters usually familiar with hitting balls on outside.”
Even though Akash excelled, India A lost to India B by 76 runs. Upon analysis of the loss, he acknowledged that their batting and bowling strategies could have been better. “We (the bowlers) did not have the right plans. Things could have been tighter. Our idea was to last till tea, as the last session would have been harder, but we played some rash shots in hurr so that we put ourselves under pressure,” he said.
For Akash, who took nine wickets in this match; it was more about learning than jolly making. “If you are ever satisfied as a cricketer, you will never learn anything. I can never be satisfied as long as I’m hungry for knowledge,” said Akash after the game was over. He pointed out that although results can differ, what really matters is how one plays & reflects on what needs improving.
Akash, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year, returned to red-ball cricket after a considerable break. He acknowledged that playing competitive cricket again after such a long time is difficult but confirmed that his month-long preparation greatly reduced the effects of this transition. “We treated practice matches as actual games, and that mindset helped get our muscles used to the rigors of fast bowling.”
Looking ahead, Akash is optimistic about being considered for India’s upcoming Test season, which features 10 matches. However, he prefers focusing on the present moment. “Every contest that I play, I consider it as my last. I don’t think too far ahead.”
Akash’s ability to command both in-swing and out-swing deliveries has been instrumental in his growth as a bowler.” When I started my career, I was primarily an in-swing bowler. But after a shoulder injury a few years ago, I could no longer bowl in-swings. I had to find alternatives, and I switched to out-swingers.” Once my shoulder healed, “I gained total control over both variations,” he mentioned.
