Akash Deep enters legendary lists with historic knock in Oval Test

Akash Deep has delivered a performance that no one saw coming in the ongoing fifth and final Test match between India and England at The Oval. On Day 3, Akash Deep walked in as a nightwatchman and walked out as a history-maker in the ongoing series decider against England.

With nerves of steel and a cheeky inside edge, the Indian fast bowler flicked Gus Atkinson to the leg side for a boundary and raised his bat to celebrate his historic maiden Test fifty.

Akash’s pumped fist, the standing ovation from the Indian dressing room, and even a rare smile from head coach Gautam Gambhir said it all.

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Akash Deep enters elite club with maiden Test fifty at The Oval

After cracking his maiden Test fifty, Akash etched his name into Indian cricket history. He became only the second Indian nightwatchman of this century to score a Test fifty. Before him, Amit Mishra pulled it off twice—once against Bangladesh in 2010 and then against England at the Oval in 2011.

Read Also: Watch: Akash Deep recreates Ben Duckett send-off on Day 3 of Oval Test; Internet loves what happened next

Furthermore, Akash joined an elite list of players who scored fifty in England while batting at No. 4 in whites. The pacer has now become the fourth Indian to achieve this milestone after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, who all scored fifties at No. 4 on English soil since 2000.

Interestingly, Akash Deep now has 50+ scores in England in Test cricket, while some big names like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, and even his own coach Gautam Gambhir managed a single fifty in their Test careers despite multiple innings in Britain.

Akash Deep becomes the only third Indian to achieve this feat in SENA

Additionally, Akash has joined another elite list of Indian batters to score 40 or more while batting at No. 4 in England. Only Dilip Vengsarkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill had done it before the Indian pacer, who turned from nightwatchman to history-maker at The Oval.

Not just that, Akash has entered an elite club of Indian cricketers to claim a 10-wicket haul and score a half-century in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries in the traditional format of the game.

Akash has now joined legends Anil Kumble and Chetan Sharma in achieving this rare all-round milestone away from home in Test cricket.

Read Also: KL Rahul becomes India’s unofficial Test captain!

Akash Deep departs after a heroic 66, India 189/3 at lunch

Well, Akash’s impressive knock finally came to an end on 66 just before lunch on Day 3 at The Oval. He mistimed a shot and was caught by Gus Atkinson at point, giving Jamie Overton his first wicket of the match and first for England on Day 3 before lunch at The Oval.

But by then, the damage was already done. Akash and Yashasvi Jaiswal had built a solid 107-run stand that put England under pressure. England’s bowling attack looked tired and ineffective on Day 3 of the ongoing fifth and final Test against India.

England bowlers were bowling for the third day in a row, and that too without Chris Woakes, who was ruled out with a shoulder injury. India went into the lunch break in a strong position at 189 for 3 in the final Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.