Akash Deep, a Bengal bowler, has got his first Test call-up for the remaining five-match series following an excellent performance for India A against the England Lions.
Virat Kohli won’t play the final three Tests, the BCCI stated. The reason is personal. An injury will keep Shreyas Iyer from playing.
Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, however, could make a comeback. They missed out on the second Test. Now, both are back on the squad. However, their participation will be subjected to fitness clearance.
While all of the choices were predictable, the inclusion of Akash Deep, as usual, split fans and analysts.
In this post, we will explore how Akash Deep’s selection on the test side makes perfect sense and is the correct decision by the selectors and management.
1. India needs more pace bowling resources
With the legendary Indian pace quartet of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav being separated due to injury, out of form, and other causes, the Indian Test squad requires options to replace them both overseas and at home.
One might argue that Bumrah is still out there doing his typical freakish things, but in the absence of Shami, he requires assistance from other pacers. Mohammed Siraj blows colder than hot on wickets that are not suited to his bowling technique.
2. Tried-off pacers have been off-radar
India has been experimenting with their pace bowling lineup since 2022. Jaydev Unadkat, T Natrajan, Prasidh Krishna, and Mukesh Kumar are just some of the names who’ve reached the pinnacle.
In the time window of 2018–22, Indian speedsters snagged a total of 506 dismissals at an impressive 23.96 average, the lowest among all Test playing nations during this era.
Following 2022, Indian pacers have averaged 32.64 in 18 matches, with Bumrah capturing nearly one-third of the wickets at an average of 15.60.
The others haven’t impressed, putting too much pressure on Bumrah, the pack’s injury-prone leader.
Akash Deep has proven himself a worthy cricketer, both in first-class cricket and against the England Lions. He’s snagged 103 wickets in 29 matches – that’s an average of 23.18! Against the Lions, he’s shown equally impressive prowess, netting 13 wickets in five innings.
Akash Deep can also contribute in the lower ranks, which is something the Indian squad has been wanting for a long time.
3. Akash Deep possesses skills that India is looking for
When looking at Akash Deep’s bowling, one could think of him as a medium pacer, yet he has a rapid arm twist that causes the ball to slip through and hurries the batsman off the pitch.
It takes some time for a batter to acclimate to face Akash, who is more deceptive than a batsman anticipated.
Akash, like Mukesh Kumar, has a flair for firm seams and can worry batters with his stock delivery coming in. With Mukesh not performing as planned, the management will hunt for a comparable replacement in Akash Deep in the series’ future matches.
