Akash Deep experienced a mixed debut on Day 1 of the ongoing fourth Test against England in Ranchi. In the fifth delivery of the fourth over, the 27-year-old delivered an impressive ball that nipped back from length around off.
It went past Zak Crawley’s inside edge, striking the off stumps. Akash celebrated, believing he had secured his first Test wicket. The happiness was brief as the celebration was interrupted by the sound of the siren, indicating a front foot no-ball, forcing an abrupt end to the jubilation.
Akash Deep had a dramatic and fluctuating beginning to his first Test appearance
Akash Deep secured his first legal wicket in the 10th over. Delivering a good length ball in the second delivery, it went straight to the left-handed Ben Duckett, who edged it for a straightforward catch to Dhruv Jurel. Akash celebrated once again as Duckett departed for 11 off 21 balls.
Continuing his success, Akash struck in the same over, dismissing Ollie Pope. In the fourth delivery, his ball nipped back from the length, beating Pope on the inside edge. The ball hit him in front of off, leading to a successful review by India, and Pope left with a two-ball duck.
WWW 🤝 Akash Deep!
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Next, in the fifth delivery of the 12th over, Akash Deep dismissed Crawley. Crawley struggled to connect with a nip-backer, resulting in the ball hitting the top of the off stump. This brought Akash into a state of complete delight as Crawley exited the field after scoring 42 off 42 balls.
At the start, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat. Following the toss, Stokes justified his decision, stating that the pitch favors batting. Simultaneously, India skipper Rohit Sharma also disclosed that he would have liked to bat first.
“We would have batted first as well. Looks a bit dry and has some cracks, but that’s the nature of the pitch here. The last two games were good for us and we’ll have to play in the same way.”
“Proud of a lot of young guys in the squad, they’ve taken the responsibility and have taken the challenge head-on. They are confident in their skills, moving forward it’s a good thing. One change with Akash Deep making his debut,” said Rohit.
The home team bounced back from a surprising defeat in Hyderabad with two significant wins in Vizag and Rajkot, leading the series 2-1. A victory in Ranchi would secure the series for them with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
On the other hand, if England wins, the series will be decided in Dharamshala in a winner-takes-all match. India decided to rest Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul remains unavailable. Rajat Patidar takes up the vacant batting slot in Rahul’s absence.
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