"Shubman Gill doesn't react impulsively"- India pacer draws daggers against Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma
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Indian pacer Akash Deep, in an exclusive session with CNN News18 Cricketnext, shed light on his experiences playing in Australia and England, Jasprit Bumrah's impact, Mohammed Siraj's workload management, and Shubman Gill's captaincy.
The Indian fast bowler played three matches in the England series, which India finally drew with a 2-2 margin after a historic win at The Oval under the new skipper, Shubman Gill. The bowler missed the Leeds and the Manchester Tests but played the remaining games and ended with a stunning half-century and 13 wickets in the series.
In the recent exclusive chat show, he rated Jasprit Bumrah as a high-quality seamer and a major match-winning force for India, ruling out the belief that India won the two matches in England that Bumrah did not play. He also praised Mohammed Siraj, the pacer, for his workload management skills, as he played every game of the series with equal intensity.
Akash Deep opens up on his experience of playing under Shubman Gill's captaincy
Akash Deep, when asked about his experiences featuring under Shubman Gill, the new Indian Test skipper, said that it was a whole new and exciting experience.
"It was very good. Actually, I had played under his captaincy before too—in the Duleep Trophy last year. Even then, I had a very good experience. In one of those matches, I had taken 9–10 wickets. Wherever I’ve played under his captaincy, I’ve performed well, so I consider it lucky for myself," said Akash.
Shubman Gill's captaincy has received much praise from the Indian pacer. He has rated Shubman Gill as a composed skipper who is well aware of his actions. Shubman Gill stood apart as a batter for India as well, amassing runs with the bat.
"He has a lot of good ideas, he’s very calm, he understands situations, and he (Shubman Gill) doesn’t react impulsively. For us players, that’s a very good sign. It gives confidence that the captain is composed and thinking clearly," he added.
Akash Deep credits coach Morne Morkel for handling the Indian pace attack
After Indian pacers performed quite well in the difficult tracks of England, where Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep all picked crucial wickets, Akash was questioned on the role of Morne Morkel as the Indian bowling coach.
"Morne was very good with us. The best thing about him is that he keeps things simple. He doesn’t complicate matters unnecessarily," Akash Deep replied with great assurance.
"He knows exactly what each bowler’s strengths are, and then he just focuses on small technical adjustments where required. Because he doesn’t make things complicated, it becomes much easier for us as individuals to understand and apply. That simplicity is his biggest strength as a coach."
Akash Deep recalls how Edgbaston horror turned him into a Test hero
Akash Deep recalled his hopes ahead of the England series, as he had heard English tracks were the most suitable to bowl on for a pace bowler. However, he recalled how it turned out to be a nightmare to come and bowl on the tracks, which were opposite to what he had heard about.
"Actually, when I was in India, I was very happy just thinking about going to England to play. I had heard so much about those conditions. But when I actually went there and saw the wickets and the conditions myself, it was very different from what I’d imagined. I recalled the scene from that Hindi movie (Run), ‘Chhoti Ganga bata kar naale mein kuda diya.’ (laughs) That’s exactly how it felt." he said.
However, Akash has sided with his strategy and simple mantra to gain success, as he became the first Indian bowler since 1986 to pick up a 10-wicket haul on English soil.
Because there was no swing, no seam movement, and runs were flowing freely, teams were making 400-plus scores. But I still had to play that match. So, I told myself: the only thing in my control is to put the ball in the right areas. If I start overthinking the conditions, I’ll only put more pressure on myself. So, I stuck to that—bowling in the right areas, sticking to my strengths.
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Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Shubman Gill Akash Deep Mohammed Siraj Morne Morkel Jasprit Bumrah India vs England
